Given
by kaze no akatsuki
Summary: CROSSOVER! Black Butler x Hellsing. In which Integra discovers a primordial distinction and simultaneous likeness between her servant, Alucard, and a demon- who is itching to tear him apart, in more ways than one. Brought together by circumstances, will Ciel and Seras be enough to keep all hell from breaking loose when these two are at each others throats? BEING UPDATED
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I make no promises about this one. Hellsing is an entirely new fandom for me, but the vivid goreyness that should have disgusted me has instead come to fascinate me, in spite of being, quite ironically, hemaphobic in real life. (doesn't get much more paradoxical than that folks) Anyway, I plan on making this a crossover (my first one ever posted) HellsingxBlack Butler; as reference, I will TRY to keep both as canonical as possible; for BB that means Ciel IS A DEMON. Yes, I have watched the third season- but I have also read parts of the manga, and going along with my cross references that means S3 actually happened within the time frame of the first season, being as S2 is basically all anime filler. But following the manga and anime for this fics purposes, that also means S2 happened after S3, making S2 chronologically the last canon we seen. Make sense? Probably not, but I had to try. Also means its been over a 130 years since the canonical (I think) chronological ending of BB, since this happens in Hellsings timeframe. Also, that means for Hellsing that Alucard was gone for 30 years and on that note...Alucard had to kill his soul-selves, all of them, except Shrodingers. What does that mean for this fic? It means Alucard no longer has thousands of souls fueling his power, making him weaker than he'll admit (but still strong as fuck) and affecting his character as such. He's still good ol' sociopathic Alucard, but he's got a different outlook on life after spending thirty years fighting his demons. (ahem) Also means he has some...interesting, new abilities. Also, I watched Hellsing Ultimate BEFORE I watched the original...so, yeah, this will be heavily focused on Ultimate. Sorry Walter. I really do miss you.**

 **Also, trying to find a good way to bring these guys together was...difficult. So sorry if that's kinda awkward.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here but the plot; the disclaimer will only appear once. If I was making a profit from this, I would not be stressing over paying tuition next term.**

 **PAIRINGS!**

 **AlucardxSeras (will be kind of central) SebastianxCiel (Alucard has an...interesting, reaction to that, I promise) I guess if you really squinted to see it, some kind of platonic AlucardxIntegra, a little bit of flirting between Sebastian, Integra and Seras because it's just in his character, And a kind of implied GrellxWilliam...kind of. Eh. Not really.**

 **So with that, let us begin in the darkness...**

 **Oh, right, WARNINGS:**

 **There WILL be a sex scene somwhere in here...eventually. It could be Yaoi. It could be Hentai. You'll just have to tread with caution and see for yourself. There won't be TOO much gore or unnecessary blood, but the emotional dynamics might get rough here and there.**

 **And please, REVIEW, or I will assume this is garbage and it will get tossed. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!**

 **Onwards, then:**

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 **CH I**

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The wind howled mercilessly outside the mansion, its claws tearing at the window panes like a starved animal, making them shake and shudder with a warbling and clanking noise, desperate to get inside. Clouds disguised the moon as rain pattered in a steady rythm against the vibrating glass, creating a almost symphonic sound in conjuction with the howling, clawing wind that occaisionally made its way into a drafty room upstairs with a satisified moan, letting its whispy fingers whip an errant paper or two around the room before it lost its gusto again and dissipated with a silent sort of dissatisfaction.

"What are you so busily thinking of, I wonder?"

The voice didn't surprise him anymore. He'd gotten used to the older demon as they had spent the last century or so together; Sebastian eternally bound to him now that his own soul- if he even had one- was just as eternal as his servant's. It still surprised him that Sebastian insisted on keeping up the butler facade; he'd said it 'suited him well' but Ciel wasn't too sure- he mostly thought it was meant to mock him in some way.

"The storm is getting quite intense. I do not fancy being the fool to be walking around in it; but naturally, there will be at least one. I can see why humans once interested you so much; they can be amusingly daft sometimes." He was expecting a well-aimed jab to his once human status as usual, but Sebastian said nothing. Turning from his chair he looked about the room, noticing it was still as spotless as ever. It looked nothing like on the inside what it did on the outside; the gardens were no longer kept, and parts of the mansion had been let to errode without interuption for the better part of a century. Several times London tried to tear this place down, he'd learned, but the people had argued, saying it was a historical monument; It used to be kept up by a volunteer who ignored the circulating rumours about it being "haunted"-

That hadn't lasted after Sebastian and he had returned to the old manor but a week ago.

They were officially here on "business"- meaning that Undertaker, who was somehow still alive, though Ciel cared not to know how, had contacted them while they were busily (or rather lazily) surveying Bordeux*. He'd gotten ahold of them via carrier bird (a raven, of all things!) and requested their presence in London again...he hadn't said why, only that it was urgent, and that if they didn't he'd get in touch with her Majesty- somehow.

Sebastian hadn't been thrilled, but Ciel had been covertly serving the Queen long after his "death"; He did so via liason, using the names of others to disgiuse himself as need be. Sebastian had also taught him the valuable lesson of distorting his appearance to take the guise of another; it wasn't flawless, but it worked in a pinch, convincingly enough that when he absolutely had to face the Queen himself, he never looked like his real self, which hadn't changed much in a century. His hair got fractionally longer, as did his limbs, making him slighly gangly and awkward. His hair had gotten just a shade darker, too. He was much more attractive-looking than he gave himself credit for, honestly, but he blamed that on his demon blood. He could make himself ten times as attractive if he really tried, courtesies Sebastians diligent training. If Sebastian was going to be chained to another demon the rest of either's existence, he was going to make sure that that demon could make it without him, not as a measure of compassion, but one of pure laziness. It made Ciel almost scoff at the thought.

They were in london now because Undertaker, who acted as a ferrier and messenger of sorts, relaying info from Ciel, who he was always in contact with in some way or another, to his "forces" (a group of volunteered demons that decided to serve him and Sebastian on a whim, he'd guess)had called them as such. Ciel could be almost anywhere in the world, and still be able to access his forces, centered in london, if need be. It was a useful system.

So why, then, were they called here personally? And on urgent business too.

"Undertaker sure is taking his sweet time to get here," Ciel pouted. Sebastian merely tutted at the childish expression- Ciel hadn't changed much on the inside in a little over a century. Ciel's perception of Sebastian, however...

"I am sure he will be here soon. He does have a habit of being late, after all."

"But he called us back here on 'urgent business'- you'd think he'd be more concerned."

"Are you?"

"No. But Undertaker doesn't usually bother us for a personal visit if its not dire. And if its dire, _then why the bloody hell is he taking so damn long?!"_ Ciel sighed in agitation. Talk about being late to your own party.

As if on cue Ciel felt a draft suddenly enter the room, looking casually over to the window, which was being slid open. In the near total darkness, Ciel could still see clear as day, and recognised Undertaker's shadowy form almost instantly- that, and no one else dared to use the _window_ to enter the mansion. Ciel sighed irritably, propmting a soft chuckle-like sound from Sebastian, which only served to irk him more.

At least _that_ part of Sebastian's personality remained faithfully familiar.

"You're late, Undertaker." Ciel kept his voice civil despite his urge to grind his teeth.

"Sorry about that, darling- had an errand to run, you know,"

"No, I most certainly do _not_ know- nor do I care to," Ciel let his irritation show in his voice. It was meant to be intimidating, but with Undertaker, it seemed _nothing_ was intimidating. Not even Sebastian growling at him could ruffle the man's feathers or make him pale- it was almost as surprising as the fact he'd lived all this time and equally as annoying.

Then again, he _was_ a reaper once.

"Anyhow, let us discuss business, shall we?" Undertaker's infuriatingly silky voice purred at him as he silently stalked toward the demon, remarkably dry despite having come through the rain not moments before.

"Why have you called us both back here on "urgent business"? And where the bloody hell are all the servants?" One thing that had been brutally apparent to Ciel when he arrived was the crippling absence of his "forces", which usually were notified well ahead of time if he was to be arriving and almost always came to meet him. But they were all absent now.

"Ah, see, therein lies the problem," Undertaker cooed, twirling a sleeve-covered hand nonchalantly as he took a seat upon the desk before Ciel. He'd long since grown used to the mans quirks and so ignored the action, noticing subtly that Undertaker's sense of style hadn't changed hardly at all since they first met so long ago. He still had black nails (which he thought at some point might be permanent, a bit like his own) and wore a too-big grayish-green trenchcoat; the only thing missing was his hat. His silver hair still concealed his eyes, but failed to completely disguise the diagonal scar running across his face. He noticed with some genuine interest that there was a new scar along the left side of the man's jaw, and couldn't help but wonder when that'd happened.

"See, there's been a sort of...infection, in London."

"Infection?" Ciel inquired incredulously. Sebastians intrigue seemed to have been piqued as well as he turned from whatever he'd been busily dusting to listen.

"Well, its hard to explain...You remember the Therian** incident that we had to deal with a few months ago?"

"Hm. I recall it. Don't tell me there's another uprising?" Ciel said with dread. Orders from her majesty had called upon his forces a few months ago to handle a therian uprising on the border of Scottland, being as the creatures had apparently been on a rampage, taking human life without discretion and even going so far as to deliberately threaten the Queen herself. This, of course, couldn't be stood for, so Ciel and Sebastian had been notified and expected to deal with the problem. They had, of course, but the whole thing was a hasstle; trying to get more than a dozen entirely self-interested demons to cooperate with each other could be tiresome sometimes, especially when Sebastian was not physically present to scare the living daylights into the lot of them. Even so, for every workload the demons did, they were expectant of a reward- usually in the case of new and young demons it was enough of a reward that they didn't get thrashed by Sebastian, but the older and wiser ones knew better. It was for this reason that there was a division between the forces, one consisting of young, weak demons that more than readily submitted to Sebastian's power- these ones were the most frequently sent to do things, and comrised nine out of the thirteen demons they commanded- and a smaller group of older, or otherwise more cunning demons who were more like allies that needed to be persuaded to join with them by some means or another; they were only used when absolutley necessary, and were almost always absent from what few collective meetings they held every few years, mostly for the sake of keeping up with who was who, not that Ciel ever really remembered anyway.

"No...not of a therian sort anyway," Undertaker replied cryptically.

"What on earth are you babbling about?"

"I mean to say," he said, suddenly flashing Ciel with a face-splitting cheshire grin that still had the ability to make Ciel uneasy somehow.

"...That this time, they aren't therians, but Vampires." Ciel felt his mind halt. The word was familiar enough to him, in fiction, but he could not recall ever meeting or coming upon one- which, considering his travels, was surprising. He supposed if therians could exist, vampires could as well, but then why had he never seen one?

"Explain." Ciel demanded. Sebastian had taken to perching on the back of his chair with his hands, reminding him all too much of a cat, and chuckled darkly for a moment.

"Vampires, neh? Not our job, I'm afraid." He addressed Undertaker with a smirk that Ciel knew from experience bespoke of things of a chaotic and otherwise unpleasant nature.

"Oh, but on the contrary," Undertaker countered. "The queen has demended you join forces with them to exterminate this...problem." Ciel glanced confusedly between the two, growing irritated suddenly at being kept out of the loop.

"Who? What problem?" Ciel demanded harshly, making Undertaker's grin widen. Not usually a good sign. He looked up to Sebastian to see him smiling wider as well. Definitely not good.

"The Hellsing Organisation."

A peal of thunder sounded outside, adding a dimesion of suspense to the air that Ciel internally damned. Talk about cliche.

"Hellsing? As in Van Hellsing?" Ciel asked incredulously. There was no way-

"Yes, actually." Undertaker's smile widened even more, if that was possible, at the surprised expression on Ciels face. Sebastian laughed at him too.

"Well, Abraham Van Hellsing's descendants, to be more exact," Sebastian clarified. "The man himself died more than five centuries ago. " A sudden, almost unbidden smile spread across Sebastains face, making Ciel worry suddenly.

"And? I take it they are in the vampire hunting business? Why don't they handle this?" Sebastains dark chuckle sent a chill down Ciels spine, making his claws elongate involntarily.

"As I said," Undertaker interjected, cheshire grin still in place. "You've been ordered by the Queen to work alongside them on this one."

"Whatever for?"

"Simple- the presence of demons in their midsts." Ciel almost let himslef balk; they were sending demons to deal with demons?! How the hell was _that_ supposed to work? He decided to voice his thoughts, only to hear an even creepier laugh crawl from Sebastian's throat. It echoed around the otherwise vacant room, and even after spending over a hundred years with this demon, Ciel felt his hair gooseflesh at the noise, which sounded...delighted.

"The same way they do, _Ciel,"_ Ciel hated it when Sebastian used his name like that even after abandoning the "young lord" title ages ago. "By pitting bigger demon against littler demon."

"I don't understand...?"

"Its quite simple, Ciel-" again with his name, " Abraham Van Hellsing is famous for defeating which creature?" Ciel hardly had to think about it, but didn't like where he thought this was going.

"Dracula?"

"That's _count_ Dracula- and yes."

"But - and I can't belive I'm asking this, but isn't he _fictional?"_

"The character that is Dracula is, yes- but the vampire Van Hellsing dealt with- no. Most certainly not." Ciel almost reeled from the grin that spread almost evilly across his eternal servants face. "In fact, Hellsing still employs him."

"Employs? An organisation that _kills_ vampires _employs_ one?" Ciel really didn't find it all that surprising- he'd heard enough movie cliches along the same lines that the effect had worn on him. Still, he was curious.

"Yes- but make no mistake, the vampire that they employ is not quite like the rest." Ciel mentally face-palmed as the realisation took too long to reach him.

"You mean to tell me that Hellsing, the very organisation started by _Van Hellsing,_ keeps _Dracula_ as an employee?"

"Not so much an employee as an unwilling servant," Untertaker interjected. "And he much prefers to go by the name of Alucard nowadays"

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" _What?"_ Integra slammed her fist onto the table in frustration. Her servant had returned from a small town to the south of Hampshire, where there had apparently been some negative goings on with vampires. The problem was that it was apparently no longer just Vampires they had to worry about.

"As I said, there was a barrier around the building- not even I could get through it. Not by phasing, not by shooting at it, not by any means whatsoever." Alucard grinned his usual sardonic grin, though his smooth voice took on a subtle air of excitement that Integra haf expected from the perceived challange he'd been given. She sighed, regaining her cool.

"Are you absolutely sure there was _no_ way to get through it?"

"I am positive. Its a _very_ old kind of magic that I haven't seen in _centuries,_ " Alucard grinned impossibly wider. "A almost _demonic_ kind of magic."

"Demon magic?" Integra couldn't keep the curiousity from her voice. It would have been nice to have Walter here at times like this. He was always so well-versed in these areas.

But there was no time to think of him now.

"Ah, yes. As I am sure you are aware, we Nosferatu are not the only creatures of the night. Demons are out there as well, though our kind seldom cross paths."

"I presume this is intentional?" She carefully hid the anxiety that was creeping up on her at the mention of the word- _demon._

"Indeed. See, Nosferatu are in a vague sense a kind of demon," Integra huffed at that- she believed it, more than she cared to admit to the devilish vampre before her. "A kind of demon that is born from a human- the very worst kind, in my opinion." _'you're not the only one who thinks so, trust me'_

"The key difference is that whereas myself as Seras are born from a human corpse, effectively, a regular demon has their own body. There are lots of other differences as well, being as there are many kinds of demon, but somehow I don't imagine you have the time to hear all of that."

"No- but I will make a note to have you write down your findings and have them sent to the library. Now-"

"-There is no way to defeat them as we are." Alucard interrupted. "Even _I_ don't have the power to kill an older or more powerful demon. You see, whereas a vampire can only take a fraction of a human's soul through their blood, a demon has the ability to take the _full_ soul; that makes them more powerful, as a general rule." He said, wicked grin still in place. His grin only widened as Integra paled a fraction of a shade, unnoticable to anyone but those who possessed the keen nocturnal vision he did. "It is also why our kind try to avoid each other- we both feed on the same prey, like to live in the same places, and have some common abilities, at least in certain demons."

"But the demons are stronger- why do they not simply push your kind out?" Integra almost smiled at the idea of demons pushing all the vampires from london, but quickly lost the emotion when a sense of dread hit her at the idea.

"They do, sometimes; but," Alucard dropped his smile suddenly, an almost disgusted edge coming into his voice. "Since vampires are born from humans, they still have some human habits- one of which is to be social." Alucard physically grimaced at the word. "Most all demons are solitary, horrendously selfish creatures that work solely to fulfil their own desires," _'well,"_ Integra thought. _'you're more like a demon than I thought'_

"Whereas Vampires- most of them, anyway- have a residual instinct to be social, even if they're selfish; they still feel the strong need for companionship." Integra wondered suddenly if Alucard was speaking empathetically, which was a very rare thing for him to do; she often attributed his aquisition of a Childe to lonliness, but had never dared ask him about it. It was too personal even for them to discuss.

"And this desire for companionship- they are able to overwhelm a demon with numbers?"

"In a sense, yes- but a older, stronger demon is no match for an _army_ of vampires; thankfully most of them would rather mind their own business than bother with a pathetic colony of vampires, and the vampires in turn are glad to ignore their presence- or, if need be, get out of their way." Integra seemed to think this over a moment.

"But there _were_ vampires in that house, right?"

"Yes- that is what is so troubling about this; I have reason to believe our little group of vampires may have employed a demon into their midsts."

"Employed?"

"A demon will almost never work for free. Not for anyone else, anyway; If it does not benefit them in some way, they simply won't do it." Again, Integra made a mental comparison to Alucard, careful to hide it from his own mind.

"So you think these vampires are bribing the demon somehow?"

"Yes."

"Then what are we to do?"

"Actually," Alucard grinned again, his fangs glinting maliciously. "We've been given orders by the Queen to join ranks with another, more covert operation that apparently specialises in these affairs," Alucard drawled.

"What?! We were given orders, _and you didn't tell me?"_ she seethed.

"Well, I've told you now, haven't I?" He chuckled his usual dark laugh. "Besides, I think this union will prove interesting. We've been instructed to visit the Phantomhive estate in west London as early as tomorrow evening."

"Phantomhive?" the name sounded too familiar. Not usually a good sign when Alucard knew the name as well.

"Yes- the lord is supposed to be long dead- however," Alucard's grin took an especially wicked glint "It would appear he has become immortal."

"You mean he's a vampire?" Integra asked, dumbfounded.

"That, I can't say for sure." with a dark peal of laughter, the vampire dissipated into a fine mist before vanishing altogether, leaving Integra to her thoughts.

Or so she thought.

 _"You really aught to sleep tonight. Tomorrow evening will probably be...eventful, as it were."_

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 **Short chappie! Not my strongest opening, I'll admit, but I have half a plan for this. If I get feedback (ahem, REVIEW) I'll post the next chapter. As a general rule, for future reference, I do not post new chapters unless I get reviews,because it helps me to understand how well my fic is received and get an idea of how much demand there is for it. More demand= faster updates. That said, I'm a college kid and updates with me are always dreadfully slow. So, with that in mind, lets point out my favorite thing to annoy everybody with: ASTERISKS!**

 ***Bordeaux: A small wine-making town in southern France, known for its wine and iconic scenery.**

 ****Therians: A were-creature, not necessarily a wolf, though were-wolves are the common image. Were-owls and were-cats are also poular.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ok! Was not expecting to get such immediate demand for this little ficlet. Guess my shoddy intro wasn't as shoddy as I thought. Guess I should include something I forgot to last time- the Poem (written by yours truly) that inspired this whole shananigan to begin with. Also, THANK YOU to those who reviewed! (though I think there was just one) Your opinions matter greatly to me, I promise! Without you, there would be no second chapter! So THANK YOU for your help. :3**

 **WARNINGS for this chapter: None really, except maybe confusion.**

 **Onwards!**

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 **CH II**

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 _ **Given**_

 _By me :3_

 _How long have you waited, Angel,_

 _For someone to clip your wings?_

 _To cage you, to guard you,_

 _Against all that slithers in the night?_

 _How long have you waited,_

 _To feel the sweet respite,_

 _To rest your tired wings from their long and weary flight?_

 _Come to me, my Angel,_

 _Come taste the sweet relief_

 _As drop by drop and streak by streak_

 _You sacrifice your blood to me-_

 _Give unto me your bittersweet troubles,_

 _Give unto me your fight,_

 _And in exchange I shall engage for you,_

 _That long and dreary flight,_

 _For wings of mine I've never had,_

 _And never have I tasted your repose,_

 _To be the regal Angel;_

 _Let us, our two hearts, entangle!_

 _Let me be the darkness in your bright, bright world,_

 _As you give to me those wings you so abhor._

 _And in the night, I will take them, as you are sleeping sound,_

 _And use them to lift my spirit well above the ground!_

 _Too long it's been that I have known this cage-_

 _Let us now entwine,_

 _And our places so exchange._

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Sebastian had taken to pacing the hall that evening. It was a very strange thing- Ciel had never known the demon to pace. But he did- back and forth in a mindless, repetitious rythm that was about to drive the nobleman mad as long as he kept looking. Sebastian's pacing worried him, because it was not from anxiety that the demon now paced- but from excitement.

He could sense it, almost palpably touch it with his dainty fingers if he tried. Sebastians energy hummed in a way Ciel really didn't like, but he chose wisely not to say anything about it. If they were to be visited by a Vampire this evening, it might be a good thing Sebastian was stretching his umbra-like energy all over the place, almost as if searching for something. Undertaker had returned as well, but didn't seem the least bit phased by Sebastians energy, though the frown he wore was not typical of his character as he too watched the demon pace up and down the hallway. They both presided in Ciels office, which hadn't changed siginificantly over the years except that Sebastian had had to get him a new desk, since his old one was auctioned out after his "death". The desk was brand new; Ciel didn't come here often enough to warrant one before now, but he figured he'd be spending an awful amount of time at "home" now that he'd been put on joint case with a vampire-hunting organisation that, frankly, made little sense to him, despite Undertaker and Sebastians attempts to get him to understand. Sebastian had only smiled his now almost permanent, creepy smile, and said that he would understand when they arrived.

He'd been waiting a little more than two hours after sundown- he was alerted to the fact that this being, the vampire Hellsing employed (or enslaved) was, true to fiction, unable to walk in the sunlight without great pain. He intented to use that to his advantage in any way he could, lest these people get out of hand. The way he seen things, the vampire was the most dangerous weapon they had against demons like himself. Bullets, crosses, swords- silver, iron, gold; all of it had no effect on him or Sebastian. Undertaker was a different story, but he assumed after surviving two world wars combined with his usual, nonchalant if not arrogant attitude, even when Sebastian was enraged, that Undertaker was pretty damage resistant. Either that or he was a fool. Either option seemed just as likely.

"They have arrived." came Sebastians eerily pitchy voice. He sounded almost, for a moment, like a child at christmas. Except that Ciel secretly hoped that this present was not the snake he imagined it to be. To excite Sebastian about anything was peculiar enough, but the shaking, almost crazed look on his face now sent a cold stone of dread plummeting into his gut and an equally chilly thrill whiz up his spine, making him gooseflesh as if mortal. Something bad was going to happen if he didn't calm Sebastian down, his instincts warned. There was something in the demon's gaze as he suddenly took off down the hall (at a human's fast-walking pace, which was really rather slow compared to the speed at which they _could_ move) A look he hadn't seen since the first time Sebastian had tried (and failed) to devour his soul.

 _Hunger._

He'd seen Sebastian angry. More than angry- he'd seen the demon fell a forest in a bout of rage, which had been partly directed at himself, and he knew well just what he was capable of. He'd felt the choking, smothering embrace of his aura, his energy, as it threatened to suffocate him, even if he need not breathe like humans did. The sensation stayed all the same. He'd seen the demons true form and ultimately learnt his own identitiy as a demon. He knew when Sebastian was angry, even when he tried to hide it, and knew when he felt meloncholy or was lost in thought. He just _knew_ these things as a habit after living with Sebastian first as a butler, and now as an eternal servant. Well, he'd hesitate to use that word, precisely. Demons didn't stay enslaved to weaker demons unless they really wanted to be. He knew that.

And it terrified him.

"Sebastian!" He called sharply, halting the demons movements as they descended into the foyer. "Keep your head- or you may very well wind up losing it," He threatened, though it came out more like a concerned warning. At this, the demon chuckled- he hated that sound. So dark and eerie and just plain _frightening_ ; even if Ciel was a demon now, he knew how much weaker than his butler/servant he was. Sebastian had yet to really "break" him, but he could sense the intent sometimes when he overstepped his bounds. Like it or not, the two played an intricate game of dominance and subservience, with Sebastian being contractually bound to a life of servitude, unable to disobey orders (that he knew of) but still being many centuries older than Ciel, and having more power than Ciel could physically comprehend. Sebastian was top-demon in whatever household or gathering he walked into- his presence _commanded_ repsect. It was a perk when you needed to be able to push other demons around, but when that power was shot back in your face like a misfired bullet, the consequences could be disastruous. He aught to know.

There was a loud, booming knock on the door. Before Sebastian could answer it, he stopped him, putting a hand on his shoulder now that he was able to reach it, standing behind the demon on the staircase. He said nothing to the demon, knowing nothing needed to be said, and instead called for the only other servant presently in the house.

"Felix! Get the door!" A young-looking demon came rushing from the kitchen still in apron; Felix had arrived that morning, saying he'd been in town to collect a few...personal, things, though he hadn't said what and Ciel hadn't asked. Felix was apparently not among the forces that were scouring london right now hunting for vampires that they didn't know how to fight. Ciel had called them all back to the manor this morning, but no one except Felix had shown up. _'Don't tell me they're traitors'_ he thought.

Felix was an adolescent demon, he'd come to find, much like himself, only older- roughly the equivalent of eighteen. He was extraordonarily pale, with blue eyes like himself that, of course, changed to red when his demon energy rose. His hair was tri-toned, but mostly red, with lighter almost blonde roots and a dark, almost brown shadow beneath his hair, which was kept to the length of his jaw and flipped outward ever so slighly with a defined middle part. His hair color seemed natural, as much as that was possible, and was the envy of many a human he sometimes passed on the street. He was a beautiful boy, but his personality was lacking, Ciel decided. He was one of the more rebellious demons, in a sense, and clearly disliked following commands. But he obeyed every one of them eventually. He talked very little, and mostly kept to himself. He seemed to enjoy the kitchen, which was strange since demons didn't eat human food- at least, not _their_ kind of demon*- Ciel assumed he simply enjoyed the solitude of the place, since no one but him ever went in there anymore.

Felix opened the heavy wooden door with ease, bowing slightly to a decidedly female figure standing on the other side of the door. They exchanged quiet words, for Felix had not a loud voice, though a quite cold one, and he allowed not one, but two women into the manor. Ciel was about to discreetly ask Sebastian where their supposed _dracula_ was, but something in the sudden stiffness of his shoulders told Ciel to get away from him. Coming down the staircase in front of the demon, he spared a glance at him, noticing with a supressed shudder that he was grinning like a fool. He tapped the demon with his ever-prenent cane (it was a human comfort he hadn't dropped, and did not intend to) giving him a pointed look that told him to behave himself before turning and descending the stairs the rest of the way, walking forth to meet his guests.

One woman was immediately noticable- not because her looks stood out but because her posture did. This woman commanded respect and dignity, and her cold, monocular, blue-eyed stare reminded Ciel of his own as she seemed to size him up. The action didn't make him as uncomfortable as he felt it should have- he was well and truly used to being underestimated by his opponents. He liked to keep it that way; it gave him the upper hand. Her pale, bleach blonde hair stood out against her gray suit and tanned skin- she seemed to be of Indian descent, Arabian perhaps, though it would have been at least a generation back. Her one open eye was bluer than he'd ever seen human eyes, but held all the rigitity and frigitity of ice and steel. This woman had a strong will, he decided. A leader. _'the leader of Hellsing. Van Hellsing's descendant'_ he'd decided. Behind her was another, much younger looking female who bobbed her head like a bird as she looked around curiously. He seen from this distance that her eyes were the color of blood, and as a breeze swept in from the door as it closed he could tell she was _not_ human. Another vampire, then?

"Hello. You must be part of Hellsing, am I correct?" He said, his voice the tone he used once when handling business clients and now reserved almost exclusively for the Queen. Then again, he got few visitors nowadays.

"Is this the dwelling of Ciel Phantomhive?" she asked, voice bold and commanding of respect. He fought the urge to smile. She was going to be interesting.

"You are presently speaking to him, maam," He replied, satisfied when a fleeting look of surprise crossed her withering face. She was growing old, in her fifties at least. She seemed to examine him coldly for another moment, as if not truly beleiving him to be standing there.

"I am Sir Integra Fairbrooks Wingates Hellsing. You may for the time call me Integra. As I am sure you are aware, we've been ordered by her Majesty to join forces to eliminate this...problem." Her gaze suddenly went above him to rest on Sebastian, who took it as incentive to finish descending the stairs. His former grin and mirth had seemingly vanished, but Ciel seen the mask had been pulled very carefully over his face. He bowed cordially before the misses, as he might have were he still technically a butler. (he still looked the part and acted it for now, though Ciel still had no clue why)

"I am Sebastian Michaelis, butler and servant of the Phantomhive name," He said, glancing up at the lady before rising. Something in his gaze spoke of mischeif, and Ciel wanted badly to punch him for it- not that it would have done him any good- or laugh maniacally alongside him. Seemed his servants excitement was rubbing off on him, he noticed with distaste.

"This is one of my servants, Miss Seras Victoria," she introduced the bouncing vampire girl behind her with a gesture. The girl wore a military uniform that seemed better fitted to a sexual fantasy than actual combat, but being as she was a vampire, he supposed it made no difference. Her darker blonde hair was in a strangely sensual sort of spiky dissaray, adding to her already pleasing appearance- though he was sure that it was all a seductive ploy of some kind (he knew _all_ about _those_ ) he could not help but find her attractive. Until one considered she was a vampire.

"You have another vampire working for you? This I did not know," He stated nonchalantly. Her eyes hardened even more, becoming almost guarded at his words.

"I take it you've heard of Alucard, then?" she said, voice suddenly taking a mischevious tint.

"Oh yes, though I still do not fully understand _how_ or _why;_ In any case, it's unimportant right now. Trivial details can be spared for another time." At this she openly laughed, though it was a hard, almost mocking sort of sound. Ciel kept his cool,far too used to being openly mocked by Sebastian for it to affect him much- or so he told himself.

"It seems Alucard was right- this should prove to be interesting." She said, a strange gleam coming into her eye. It made Ciel quite curious, and he could suddenly understand a little bit why Sebastian had been looking forward to this, though he'd never directly said as much.

 _ **"What is this I hear? Integra admitting I am right? How utterly ridiculous."**_ A deep, suave voice echoed in the room. Ciel hadn't meant to jump at the unexpected noise, but he did. A sense of unease slithered over his belly like a cold snake, coiling around his torso with a force that would have made him nauseas were he mortal. He turned to look at Sebastian, and his heart nealry lept from his chest at the cheshire grin on his face, mask long forgotten. It deeply unsettled some baser part of him, this whole situation- though whether it was from Sebastian or the sudden voice he did not know.

"Show yourself, _vampire,_ " Sebastian said, pitch of voice betraying some dark kind of excitement that really _did_ make Ciel nauseas, in spite of being unable to vomit- that he was aware. "Sebastian! Calm yourself!" He growled lowly at his servant, but was ignored as a figure dressed in red _came up_ _ **through**_ _the floor._ Ciel could not help but gawk at the sight. It was an ability even Sebastian did not posses, he knew. Suddenly anxiety gripped him like an eagle's talons might a stuck frog. _'something bad is going to happen if these two stay in the same room.'_ Some baser part of him told him to run, but he plated his feet mentally and stayed firm. He would fight Sebastian if he absolutley had to, not that it would do much- but it might be enough to snap him out of himself, if he pushed the right buttons. Enough to bring the excitement-crazed demon to his senses, at least long enough for him to escape with Felix and the other two.

Ciel wasn't the only one to notice the sudden shift in the air as Alucard appeared before the two demons. Seras picked up on it too, sensing a wicked kind of excitement thrumming through her master's veins via the link they shared in mind. It seemed as if he wasn't the only one excited, either, if the crazy look on the butler-demon's face was any indication. She got a really bad hunch that those two probably shouldn't be in the same room as the other, kind of like the sense she'd gotten when they first met Anderson. It was the same kind of mutual bloodlust that made Seras touch Integras arm and begin to back away, silently urging the woman to follow her. Something about this wasn't safe, and she'd been Integra's body guard as well as her master's fledgling long enough to recognise a situation the woman had no chance of controlling Alucard in. They were going to fight, and it was going to get ugly. She daren't dream what a demon was capable of doing to Alucard, but the way the demon's energy slithered in invisibly dark tendrils around the entire masion, thickest in this room, told her that their fight would likely be evenly matched at some point or another, though Integra had warned her Demons were often stronger than vampires. If that was the case, what would that mean for Alucard? Could the demon- she daren't want to think it, though the thought came unbade anyway- _kill_ her master? It didn't seem likely, but she'd never met a _demon_ before, nevermind knew of their existance; anything was possible with something you knew next to nothing about.

"Sebastian!" the boy said suddenly, voice as commanding of the obvious demon before them as she'd ever heard Integra's own voice when commanding Alucard. Well, really he was supposed be be a dead earl, this boy, who for all intents and purposes looked to be no older than thirteen, yet there he stood; Seras could tell that, in spite of her previous assumptions about him being one of their kind, having supposedly been human once, that he was absolutely _not_ a vampire. Were she still a weaker vampire, she might not have noticed the difference, but there was just something _different_ about him, different from anything she'd ever sensed before. It was dark, but strangely vacant. As if he didn't have a soul. As if neither of them did.

It scared the living hell out of her.

"Sebastian! You _will_ restrain yourself! That's an _**order**_ _!_ " the demonic butler seemed to freeze up a moment, saditic gleam leaving his eye in a flash of anger, which was just as quickly replaced by a vacant, resigned expression. He suddenly bowed from where he stood at the base of the stairwell, his energy suddenly retracting. _'what on earth is happening?'_ Seras could not help but wonder. The demon, Sebastian, was behaving like Alucard when the seals prevented him from disobeying Integra. Suddenly a shocking peice of a puzzle she didn't even know her mind was making fell into place.

"Yes, my Lord." And with that, Sebastian's earlier excitement seemed to simply vanish, leaving the energy of the room suddenly too empty, too silent. Alucard had not retracted his energy in the slightest, but lost the typical grin he'd worn before. Instead his expression seemed...contemplative. Strategic, even. As if he was rolling this new revelation around in his head. Clearly he hadn't been expecting that.

"Forgive my servant. He does not usually get himself so wound up. I imagine his excitement may have stemmed from your vampires own impressive energy, though." Ciel stated in an offhand kind of way. The peices had clicked together in his head as well once Alucard revealed himself. This vampire was _incredibly_ strong, if his aura had anything to say about him. "It isn't every day one such as us is able to meet a foe they can battle on level ground." Ciel let the admonishment slip with half a cocky grin. He wasn't entirely convinced it was true, but he wasn't convinced as yet that it was untrue either. Alucard stood there still, a smug, viscious grin spreading over his face once again. He let out a deep, even creepier laugh- though his did not, strangely, affect Ciel in the slightest. "Indeed, what a marvel it would be to battle a demon such as yourselves," He seemed to be getting excited again. "It would be a better fight than I've had in centuries, of that I am sure!"

"You would not be the only one," Sebastian couldn't help himself, it seemed. A sly smile graced his lips this time, though, instead of his crazy grin. "I can say I've never had to fight a vampire, honestly. It would be a first for me."

"I've never battled a demon, either- the thought admittedly thrills me." Ciel decided he was not fond of this vampire suddenly. He was a demon- had been one for over a hundred and thirty years; if anyone knew how dark and disturbing the psyche could be, of demon, human or other, it was him. But this vampire, _Alucard,_ as he was known; something about his smell sent a wave of revulsion through Ciel. The vampire had a soul, it seemed- both of them did, but neither seemed quite _right._ Especially the big red one. It put him off whatever appetite he may have had at the moment, which was saying something, for demons were eternally hungry, it seemed, never fully satisfied by even the most delectable of souls. It was part of his curse.

"Enough," Integra spoke firmly, stepping a pace ahead of Alucard, putting herself just that much closer to the two demons. Truly, she seemed fearless of them. A quick sniff of her strangely sweet smell confirmed that though she was a bit anxious, she was unafraid of them- the demons or the vampires. Ciel noticed suddenly a marking on the back of Alucard's white gloves- and developed a sudden sense of clarity. "It would seem we both have dogs that are prone to tugging at their leashes, no?" Ciel said suddenly, making Integra break character for a moment to look at him in surprise. He could not stop the smirk that formed on his face. "Those markings on your vampire's gloves," he clarified. "They restrain his power, who stood obediently to the side, eyes closed. "Sebastian, take off your glove."

"As you wish," he replied, removing the glove of his left hand with his teeth, turning his hand to display the mark of their faustian contract. All eyes seemed to widen at the sight of the symbol, and Ciel could almost hear the gears turning in two of their heads, excluding Alucards. The vampire's expression remained unchanged, almost evil grin still planted in place. "You see, Sebastian is under similar controls. As for me," he removed his eye patch, worn from habit more than requirement, as he could disgiuse the eye if he desired to. He opened the eye, revelaing the other half of the contracting seal, smirking wider when Seras in particular gasped when the two contract seals glowed in response to the proximity of the other. "I can control just how much of his power he is able to utilize at any given time- within reason, of course." with that he closed his eye, hiding the seal and making both cease their eerie purple glow. "In dire circumstances, he can bend the will of the seal- which bends to _my_ will- but this is reserved only for the most dire of circumstances." Much to his surprise, Integra began to _laugh._

"Well, it would seem we _do_ have something in common between our organisations, after all. The question remains however- just what are you?" The question threw Ciel off guard for a moment. He suddenly burst into pitchy though genuine laughter, making even Sebastian raise his guard. Sebastian laughing was one matter. His master laughing was another.

"What would you suppose I am, _Integra?_ I am most certainly no longer human- I haven't had mortal flesh in more than a century." He asked mockingly, testing her as he was apt to do with all his new found playthings- which, he decided for the time being, this woman would serve as. Toying with her might prove entertaining as well as useful, of he played his cards right. Nothing was more detrimental or more dangerous than a bored demon, after all.

"You...You're a _demon?_ " She said, half accusatory, half incredulous.

"Indeed, I am. As for how I came to be this way- I'm afraid that process is a bit more complicated than that of your vampire _pets_ ," She seemed unfazed by the name, but Seras began to glare at him. He could tell she hadn't been a vampire for very long- how he knew, he didn't frankly know. It was pure intuition, much akin to the way he just seemed to know the relative age of his demon peers. "Even I do not know how I came to be this way. One moment, I am dying, the next I wake up as a demon." he explained simply. He would not have told them any of this were it not for his sudden intrigue with this human, Integra. His attention was drawn back to Seras, though, as she gave him an entirely too human expression- it would seem she had been transformed upon her deathbed, as well, if he were to guess.

"I see." Integra responded, face thoughtful but entirely too composed. A long silence spanned over the room suddenly, before Ciel finally broke it, from boredom more than impatience.

"Well, then shall we discuss business? I belive Felix has prepared you something." At this, Felix seemed to reappear from nowhere, nodding in admittance. He said nothing, but motioned to the stairs in a stiffly polite gesture. He did not like having to be nice to his food, either, it would appear, Ciel thought, sly smirk tugging at his lips. He glanced over at Sebastian, feeling mischeivious all of a sudden. "Sebastian, come with me. Felix, keep an eye on our guests." He said, indicating his lack of desire to have either vampire present as they spoke. Integra looked at him strangely before looking back at Alucard, a small smirk gracing her lips for a moment, so suddenly he was sure he'd missed something pass between the two. Alucard's own grin had vanished, and was instead replaced by a scowl.

The three ascended the stairs, Integra seemingly unfazed by the presence of two soul-eating demons on either side of her. It seemed strange to Ciel, but it fascinated him all the same. They entered his private study and began their discussion on the matter they'd been forced together to deal with. Meanwhile, Seras moved to stand beside her master, looking up at him, trying to get a feel for what he was thinking, but found his mind too closed off for her to get through. She glanced suspiciously at the other demon, Felix, as he stood there silently beside the stairs, face almost completely devoid of emotion. It creeped her out, despite the fact she'd seen the expression before on her own master's face before. Somehow everything about these demons seemed to creep her out, even things that were alike to herself or Alucard.

But that was just it, wasn't it?

"Master?" she said, trying to get his attention. He wore his usual glasses, sheilding his eyes from her inspection. His fedora cast shadows on his face that seemed to her almost a moment to betray concern, but the expression may as well have been imaginary for as quickly as it vanished. "Will Sir Integra be alright?" She could give two farts less if he wasn't concernred for their Master's safety, but she didn't trust these demons- and as far as she had seen, it was the boy, _Ciel_ who worried her most. He was not like Sebastian- he had not restrictions, nothing to stop him from hurting or even devouring Integra. Besides the two of them, obviously. As if sensing her thoughts, Felix turned an truly icy stare her way, seeming to silenlty warn her to keep her mental mouth shut. Could demons read minds, she wondered?

 _ **"I imagine some of them might be able to. But I don't think this one can. He's simply more perceptive than you are."**_ Alucard spoke through their link. She mentally growled at him, and he let his dark, booming laugh fill her head. _**"I am not concerned about our Master either. She can handle herself."**_ part of Seras though he didn't really belive himself, but she deliberately kept that thought private. _"Are you sure? I don't trust these demons, not the slightest bit."_ She replied. He laughed again, but it was tamer, and short lived. _**"Do you trust me?"**_ He seemed to be mocking her, but she caught the serious undertone in his voice. _"Of course I do...as much as you allow me to, at least."_ He laughed again at this, this time his usual, dark, mirthy laughter. _**"Then worry not for our Master. If she can handle me, I don't imagine a demon should be too much trouble."**_ Seras physically scowled as he laughed at himself. _**"Besides, Integra can smell manipulation a mile away. Its one of her superpowers."**_

 _"Superpowers? Seriously, Master?"_

 _ **"Hn. She is incredibly gifted with her ability to see past people's defenses as well. That is part of why I respect her so much. She is one of the few people able to read me."**_ The almost affectionate tone in his mental voice sounded almost alien to Seras, but she was secretly glad that he felt the respect he did for Sir Integra- otherwise she wouldn't be here.

Well, in hindsight, that might have been the better option.

 _ **"You would be dead were it not for me, Police Girl. Don't forget that."**_

"I know," She replied out loud, tired from keeping up a mental conversation. It got irksome for her, not having a real person to talk to, especially when that person was _right next to you._

 _ **"Get used to it, Police Girl. We won't be ablt to talk much with demons hanging around."**_

 _"What are you talking about?"_

Suddenly the door the three had dissappeared through opened, and Seras was relived to see that Integra was unharmed- in fact, she seemed almost mirthy.

"Seras," She said. Immediately at attention, she heard the boy-demon, Ciel, laugh at her mockingly. She threw him a glare for good measure before turning her attention to Sir Integra. "Contact the troops. Tell them to alert the guard...we will be having some... _guests,_ for a while." At her mischeivous tone, Seras felt her stomach drop.

 _'good gods what have we gotten ourselves into'_

 _ **"Gods indeed, Seras. Gods indeed."**_

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 **Ok Wow- so much more demand than I thought. Things are about to get edgy, so hang on to your britches (or skirts). Hopefully we will peer into Demon!Ciel more next chappie. I think you will find his new character traits to be...intriguing. His relationship with Sebastian is yet to be explored as well. :) Be prepared.**

 **ASTERISKS:**

 **just one this time-**

 ***Kinds of demons:** _Ok, so we are working on the imaginary theory I have that there are effectively two dietary classes of demon. There are "soul eaters" and there are "flesh eaters". Somewhere in there there are herbivores, but these are not commonly noticed by humans, as humans are not their usual prey. (duh) The anatomy, physiology, psychology, and psyche of these two classes differ so greatly that some demons from either class do not belive the other class to be "one of them" in the sense that they are demons. Yes, this will be reflected later in a rather human-like fashion. Also, there are multiple speacies on either side of the dietary line, with more flesh-eating species than soul-eating ones. This is because flesh eaters have more variety and more opportunities to specialise than soul eating ones. Yes, I'm comitting the taboo and applying evolutionary and biological sciences to supernatural beings. Shoot me._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello my lovelies. This chapter may seem...inconsistent, at first, but trust me, it's valuable.**

 **Now, it has come to my attention reading a bunch of demon-Ciel fics that people like to portray him as having completely lost his humanity, being as he is a demon now- but I think Hanna was a really good example of the fact that demons are, in fact, capable of empathy and even compassion, to some muted degree. Ciel has never been especially empathetic, but I like to think he still has an "echo" of his human thoughts and feelings somewhere. Also, I think part of what sparks the drastic difference between his demon and human selves in a lot of fics is the theory that he is only being possessed...here, that is not the case whatsoever. You'll see what I mean later, hopefully.**

 **Now, lets move on shall we?**

 **WARNINGS: Edginess (? Not all that much I think, but whatever...). Implied Sex scene. (of a yaoi variety...though we aren't getting into the smut yet) Vague allusions to events of episode X of Ultimate.**

 **Onwards!**

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"We hope you are...comfortable, here." One of the newer butlers of the Hellsing manor stated with a dreadfully nervous sweat. Why? What in Gods sweet name had Integra been thinking, allowing these, these- _these_ ungodly, isepid, utterly unholy creatures into _their,_ into _his_ home?! Wasn't it bad enough that there were not one, but _two_ vampires running around the place- now she was letting full-fledged d _emons_ into the estate?! Had the woman lost her ever-livid mind?!

"Thank you, Arthur." The taller one said, voice smooth and dark as red satin. It made him shiver involuntarily as he backed away from the door to the room they would apparently be boarded in. Seriously, what the _devil_ was Sir Hellsing thinking? Was she trying to get everyone here killed?

No, he reminded himself dutifully. Integra did everything with a purpose. She wasn't one for whimsy. If she'd allowed freaking _demons_ onto their estate, she'd done so with some kind of elusive confidence in her ability to control the situation if it got out of hand. Right?

 _'I sure as hell hope so. Its bad enough I have to worry about being accidental vampire chow- I really rather not be demon food, either...no matter what part of me they eat.'_

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Ciel looked around the temporary room they'd been given- and were permitted to keep _only_ on the condition of good behavior. It had been his own idea to set up base here, at Hellsing, rather than his own estate. Integra had agreed to train them both to fight Vampires here at their HQ (which, as it happened, was just on the other side of London) so that they both could then relay that information to their own forces. She'd made it perfectly clear that they were only allowed to stay here on good behavior, and that- and he'd laughed at her for this- if they _ate_ any of her men, they would be "removed in whatever way she seen fit".

Apparently she didn't understand that they were _immune_ to bullets- blessed silver or not.

 _'At least I know Sebastian is. I've bloody watched him be shot with a full cartridge in almost every part of his body and the pain not phase him in the slightest. I imagine blessed silver might hurt a bit more, but I know for a fact that holy objects don't affect him at all. Even Holy water doesn't hurt him, much to my surprise.'_ He knew for a fact, having tested on himself, that Holy water _did_ burn a little, but it was a pain hardly worth noticing. Nothing compared to the agony of being branded by hot iron, in any case.

They brought no belongings besides a fresh change of clothes- they didn't really have any. Besides each other, as it were. "Has Integra said anything to you about the training routine? I hardly imagine she will be teaching us using guns. Neither of us have any use for the damned things, and besides, they make a most infernal noise."

"No. She only said that we would begin tomorrow evening. It would appear we are being trained by the vampires themselves how to handle their kind, and are expected to return the favor in kind, since they are battling the same demons we are." Ciel scoffed at the notion, bt did not miss the mischevious glint in Sebastians eye at the prospect of training with the creatures. Frankly, it should have made him worry. But Sebastian was, ultimately, bound to his command- even thoug he knew that Sebastian was more than capable of defying him anyway, he held on to the fact. It gave him a flase sense of security, at least.

But then, so did Sebastian.

"Come here," he beckoned as he sat on the bed. He'd alerted Integra of the fact that demons like himself didn't need to sleep the same way humans did- and had been promtly alerted to the fact that vampires, apparently, did.

 _-Vampires need to sleep like humans do. Its something they don't inherently lose. The fact that they are gregarious also does not change once they are transformed into vampires._ She'd explained. _They are prone to "covening", forming social groups that have a strict, power-based hierarchy. "The big dog gets to eat first," in a sense. -_

 _-and I presume that Alucard would be the "big dog" of the house; besides yourself, of course.-_

 _-Indeed. As reluctant as I am to admit it, yes. He has reigning dominance over nearly everyone here besides myself. Were I you, i would respect that, particularly as you are on_ _ **his**_ _turf. Alucard sees Hellsing as his "home away from home" in a sense. The fact he is allowing you, for all intents and purposes "competition" into his perceived territory is an honor not many get the chance to possess. He is, after all, a Vampire King.-_

 _-We will do well to heed him, then.-_ Sebastian had replied with a knowing smirk.

They both were then shown to their chambers by an understandably nervous servant, and here they were. Ciel felt the impending mischeif rolling off of Sebastian in waves, and felt the need to remind him that he was supposed to be _well behaved._ Sebastian obedienlty sat beside him on the bed. No more had he set down then Ciel moved onto his lap facing him with practiced motions. Sebastain made no move to stop him, made no obvious expression until he leaned forward and nudged Sebastian's jaw with his nose, licking the side of his neck, asking for silent permission- not that he needed to, Sebastian had never turned him away, but it still _felt_ necessary for reasons his no-longer-human mind could not really understand. It was as if some distant echo of his past came forth in these situations, demanding some sense of courtesy that he felt for no one else at any other time. Maybe it was because he respected Sebastian, but he also liked to think sometimes that his humanity hadn't been _completely_ lost with his transformation. It gave him some small comfort, at least.

Sebastian wasted no time placing his hands on Ciels hips, letting his fingers play absently with the hem of his shirt. Ciel could practically sense the smugness on his servants face. They may not have been able to make trouble with the men or the vampires directly, but that didn't mean they were going to lie down like obediant dogs and bend to the will of their _food._

"My, you certainly have a way of being rebellious, young Master," Sebastian whispered in an all too familiar voice beside his ear. "I can't imagine Alucard will be thrilled if he finds out we were doing such _obsecene_ things beneath his watch on the _first day_ ," Ciel knew Sebastian was teasing, and it only served to excite him more as he absently ground his hips into his servants in a silent demand. Sebastian's hands wasted no time travelling down to his arse, fondling him in a deceptively gentle manner.

"Just remember we aren't allowed to break anything," he wispered in the older demons ear, licking his neck in a smooth, slow motion that somehow still came out to be cat-like with its dainty delicacy. A very deceptive delicacy, if Sebastian had anything to say for his master's surprisingly sharp tongue and feroucious strength, when either was warranted. He'd never seen his master lose his cool, in demon or human form, but here was something to be said for that- his wrath was not one you wanted to incur. Especially as his demon blood gave him a most fitting ability...

"We should be quiet. Alucard, I can handle pissing off. Integra, however, has the real control here." Sebastian chuckled at him then, promting him to pull back from where he was not-so-affectionately nipping his servants thoat to look at him sternly. "Do not make the same mistake as your opponent, Ciel, or you are no better than they are. It is not wise to underestimate a foe like Alucard." Sebastian warned him, voice and eyes swimming with smug mirthiness.

"I know. But it is also equally unwise to underestimate the will of humans." This made Sebastian pause in his musings with Ciel's hair as he pulled away the eye patch. Ciel continued, ultimately devesting him of most his clothes before he responded with a light chuckle.

"I suppose it would be." They finished removing each other's clothes, neither in any terribly big hurry. They had all day, after all.

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"Seras," Alucard's voice echoed in her room before he materialised through the wall. Something about his tone seemed...meloncholy.

"Yes, Master? Is something the matter?" there was a long, though familiar silence as she patiently waited for him to continue, setting her hairbrush down on the table. She was tired after her mini-freak-out about there being _demons_ who were presently being allowed to preside above them in one of the guest rooms upstairs. At first she'd been disgruntled that they'd been allowed up there, but then she recalled that they were technically servants (or slaves, in Alucard's case) and that the two above them were guests. As such, it panned out.

But she still wasn't looking forward to having to "train" them tomorrow evening.

"I am not looking forward to it either." Alucard suddenly said, his voice taking on an almost disgusted tone. "But frankly I'd rather not think of them right now." Confused, Seras shot him an imploring look. "You do _not_ want to know what they're up to right now. Believe me." Seras could swear she seen her master turn green for a split second in a look of utter disgust, but chose wisely not to coment on it. If it disturbed her master, she right well believed she didn't want to know what they were up to.

Then again, what on earth could distrub _Alucard?_

"Okay...but- and correct me if I'm wrong, but you seemed quite excited about them earlier, Master."

"Hn, that was because I was looking forward to fighting that taller demon- Sebastian, as he calls himself. However, training is not fighting. Besides-" He once more turned vaguely green, looking genuinely nauseas. "Are you all right, Master?" she asked, suddenly concerned. Could Vampires get sick?

"Never mind. Keep my mind occupied for a while, Seras. Entertain me, if you will." He smiled mischeivously then, and her earlier concern vanished in light of his apparent smugness. She knew his "if you will" was meant to taunt her- she really had no choice, lest he find other ways of entertaining himself with her. She daren't think about what that might mean, either.

"Indeed, you would most certainly be unappreciative of the ways in which I could rightly entertain myself with you, Police Girl." He echoed her thoughts mockingly at her. She turned away from him then, setting herself on her coffin-bed. She wasn't really in the mood to entertain today. It was past sunrise and she was tired. Not that he seemed to care, of course.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" She commented, letting the barest bit of sass color her tone. She knew how much he disliked her disobedience. It was her own way of taunting him, like a game that they played.

 _'my God, how far have you corrupted me already, Master?'_ He seemed to laugh at her thoughts, despite them not being directed at him. Damn his ability to eavesdrop like a silent death upon her thoughts.

He suddenly materialised within his shadow a strangely familiar looking box. He bent over to pick it up (odd since he usually used his shadows to lift objects from the ground) and placed it on the table before peicing it together, as apparently it had not been a whole object. It then occured to her as he was placing the bell on it that it was the old record player from his room. How he'd managed to conjure it here she had no idea.

"Does that thing still work?" she asked incredulously. It had to be over a century old, at least.

"Yes, quite well considering its age, as I'm sure you've noticed." he grinned mirthily, once more pulling from seemingly nowhere what looked to be a glass record.

"What on earth are you doing, Master?"

"Can I ask you a favor?" He asked her as he placed the record on its table with a soft _tink_ that proved it was, in fact, glass. _'How ancient is that contraption?'_

 _ **"I would appreciate it if you didn't insult one of the few precious possessions I own."**_ He voiced into her head.

"A-and what sort of favor, exactly, are you asking for?" She stammered, blushing despite herself when he rose again after setting the record to spin with a monotonous _swhirrr_ sound. He came well within her personal space bubble, as he was apt to do purposely just to mess with her. She refused him the satisfaction of watching her shiver, instead looking up at him with naive, imploring eyes. He held her gaze steady, his glasses and fedora absent from him presently. His eyes held his usual air of mischeif, but something deeper, something sadder lay hidden behind it. He suddenly offered her his hand, palm turned up in an inviting gesture.

"Will you dance with me?"

She felt herself light up like a red christmas bulb at his request, suddenly feeling awkward and embarrassed. She looked into his eyes, surprisingly expressive, to find that he was being absolutley serious. A quiet melody began to play from the machine, a even-tempoed but rather sad piano waltz that sounded strangely familiar to her. "M-master-"

"Please, Seras, I implore you- dance with me." he repeated, hand raising higher in emphasis.

"B-but I don't know-"

"Then I will teach you." he said, suddenly coming a step closer, bringing their chests centmeters apart as he gripped her waist with a shockingly gentle hand, turning his other hand to the side, still offering it. She reluctantly lifted her hand and placed it in his delicately, surprised when he seemed to return the gentleness of the action. _This_ was a side of her Master she had never seen.

 _ **"There are many facets of me you have not seen, Seras. This is but one of them. I may no longer lay host to a thousand faces, but I still remember them all."**_ Something about the tone he used sounded whistful, adding to Sera's wonder.

They began to move in a slow rythm, Alucard guiding her moves with a tap of his fingers against her waist here, a light squeeze of her hand there. The sheer tenderness of the whole thing entirely dumbfounded her.

"I am feeling nostalgic tonight, if you must know." He said conversationally. It wasn't often he tried to strike up a conversation, adding to her befuddlement. "You know I was married once, yes?" The statement caught her completely off guard as she followed the easy motions of his feet as if she'd been doing it for a lifetime. Apparently she _could_ dance, as long as it was slow like this.

"I-I heard you had a wife once, but...what's that to do with me?"

"You are the total opposite of her. Yet, somehow, you still remind me of her sometimes." Seras lit up again at the admonishment, eyes falling to the floor. He took his hand away from her waist suddenly, and used it to lift her chin to meet his gaze; once more the touch was almost tender.

"Keep me company today, Seras. " She nodded dumbly as she looked into his eyes, finding them mesmerising suddenly. He wasn't hypnotising her- she knew what that felt like- but there was swirling storm inside his gaze just then, making him look almost...tormented.

"Okay, Master." She said softly. He suddenly took her arm away from her body, moving it in a tell-tale pose that required her to spin. She felt the heat on her face again and wondered how many times she was going to blush tonight. He laughed softly, apparently having heard her disgruntled thoughts. The laugh itself seemed almost tortured, though she may very well have been imagining that. She felt something for him then that she didn't feel for the borderline sociopath very often- pity. She half expected him to comment on it, but he stayed silent, allowing her to break her gaze from his as her eyes once more found the floor. The song came to a halt, and so did they.

"Thank you, Seras."

Her master, _thanking_ her now? What on earth had gotten into him? Had he been bewitched by the demons or something? He laughed suddenly, and once more she got the impression her thoughts were not private.

"I don't know if I would say bewitched. But it would seem they have started a train of thought that will not leave me alone, no matter how I beat it away." His voice sounded normal for the most part, but again came that sad, whistful undertone. It bothered her for some reason.

"Allow me to stay with you today, Seras. I promise to mind myself." He grinned at her again, and she suddenly didn't feel as bad for him anymore. Were he human, she'd of punched him in the arm, but she figured that was not wise considering who he actually was.

"Fine, but stay on your side of the damn coffin. I don't want to wake up to find something...unpleasant." She said with a feirce blush. Looking up expecting to see him grinning, she instead found his expression to be affronted, as is she'd offended him.

"I may be a monster, but I'm not _that_ kind of moster, Seras." Again, his voice sounded sad. It made her really wonder about the things he'd seen in his life.

 _ **"Believe me, you'd have nightmares if you did."**_ Was all he offered her before moving toward the record player, which was quietly playing another, much more meloncholy melody. He turned it off, removing the glass disk and placing it on the table beside the machine. He then turned and went to her coffin-bed, lying on the far side of it on his side in a pose that might have come off as suggestive, but to her Master was likely just a normal thing. Hell, almost everything about him seemed suggestive at times, a thought she was not at all afraid of broadcasting to him. After all, its not like he ever got her hot under the collar...

She derailed that train of thought with a mental slap before climbing in next to him, careful to keep some measure of respectable distance between them as she pushed the covers aside. He had the decency, it would seem, to stay above the covers, at least.

"Goodni- good day, Master."

"Good day Seras."

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Seras awoke midday to feel something stirring behind her in her coffin. She'd left the lid open to allow both their bodies to move more freely if need be, and turned to look at the vampire behind her- only to find his arm drapped around her waist. She was about to react by pushing him off, but he made a _noise._ It wasn't quite like any noise she'd heard him make before, almost like a deep squeak, if that made sense. The beggining of a noise that never got finished.

"Master?" she asked quietly. He responded, so she imagined, by tightening his arm around her waist, and she felt his breath fan across her neck with a blush. It then occured to her that vampires didn't have to breathe when they slept. Either he was awake, or...

"Master?" she inquired again, louder. Still he made no obvious stir to indicate he'd heard her. Rather, he made a soft, almost pained moan. "Master?" He voice rose with worry at the noise. It then occured to her what was happening, and the realisation hit her harder than she thought it should have.

 _'He's having a nightmare.'_

 _ **-"...You'd have nightmares if you did"-**_ the thought came echoing back to her as she felt him stir uneasily behind her.

As if on cue, his breath hitched and he murmured something in a decidedly different language. He moaned something unintelligible as he suddenly rolled onto his back, arm leaving her and falling on his chest. His hand twitched beside her, and his face scrunched up for a moment. If he'd been mortal, she was sure he'd of been sweating. She was reluctant to wake him, unsure what he'd do. Suddenly his head thrashed to the side and his back arched from the bed, a strange noise leaving him, almost a choking noise. Decidedly frightened now, she sat up in bed, thinking on her toes for an answer that wouldn't come as she watched him writhe. He seemed to yell something in his sleep, but the words were again foreign to her ears. A familiar one reached through though, and she felt a stab of pity for him.

"Stop... _Inceteaza_ *... _destul_ *..." He said with surprising clarity. It then occured to her that he was probably speaking Romanian. She hadn't the foggiest what he was talking about, but it seemed to pain him whatever it was. Unsure what to do without putting herself in jeopardy, she settled on placing a delicate hand on his chest, trying to comfort him.

Bad move.

He responded almost violently to her touch, not striking out at her, but at some invivble foe above him. This had to stop, or one of them was going to get hurt.

"Master!...Master! Alucard! _Alucard!"_ Her voice steadily rose in pitch and volume as she tried to rouse him. It seemed to work, for his movements stilled suddenly, and he opened one bleary eye, looking quite confused.

" _Unde sunt*?"_

"Sorry...?" Seras watched him slowly open his eyes and come to his senses, one hand absenly coming up to rub at his eyes. "Master?" She asked, hesistant. "I...I think you were having a nightmare, Master."

"Hn. Indeed, it would appear those damn demons _have_ affected me." She was very confused by his statement, but made no note of it as his eyes suddenly fell on her with an unplacable expression.

"Did I hurt you?"

"Huh?"

"Did I hurt you- having the nightmare? I know it makes me thrash in my sleep. Integra has told me as much, anyway."

"N-no, you didn't hurt me, but you were moving around a lot..." A sudden question popped into her head, and before she could stop it, in spite of knowing how _wrong_ it was to ask, it slipped out of her mouth.

"What was it about?"

She immediately regretted the question, seeing the vacant expression he gave her as the entire world around them seemed to just _stop._ He finally gave her a wry, almost pained smile before replying in a way she hadn't expected him to.

"The reason I'm not the kind of monster you thought me to be**." He said nothing more, leaving Seras very confused as he suddenly phased from the bed, appearing on her other side, his ruffled clothing from the nightmare smoothed out and his expression neutral. She tried beside herself to peer into his head, out of concern, but he was locked up tight, as usual. There was a tension in his shoulders, one she felt not many other people would have been able to notice, and her concern for him only increased.

"Alu- I mean, Master," She said, tone betraying her thoughts, though she was sure he could hear them anyway. "Are you going to go back to your room?"

"Yes, I think." She pondered this a moment. Heart acting before her head, as per usual in these circumstances, she once more felt her mouth open before she could bid it shut.

"You should stay here. In case of another nightmare." Seeing his brow raise at her proposition, she hastily continued. "I-I mean, you were sleeping really sound before the nightmare, I think, and...and I'm worried, Master. You've been acting strangely all day." He let out a wry chuckle, a tone of mirth creeping back into it.

"As I said, there are many sides of me you have not seen yet, Fledgeling." Again, she thought about this, stopping him just as he was beginning to dissipate again.

"Would you...let me see the other sides of you?" She wondered aloud, knowing it made no difference. He could peer inside her head almost any time he wished- what did it matter if she said what she was thinking aloud, as long as they were alone? "I...Some part of me really wants to know, Master." She admitted quietly. He stopped, mid-phase, and seemed to wonder about her words.

" I know, Seras. I know."

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 **Okidokie! This was fun! I won't be giving away spoilers, but I will translate a few words:**

 **ASTERISKS!**

 ***** _ **Inceteaza=**_ _stop it (on that note, I spelled it wrong because I don't have a Romanian keyboard, so accents are absent)_

 _ ***Destul=**_ _enough_

 _ ***Unde sunt?=**_ _where am I?_

 **And of course, It's in romanian. :)**

 **Hopefully we can continue with the mischeif next chappie, but I had to plant the seed of AluSeras somewhere. In this case, I planted it in the past. Hope you enjoyed! And don't forget to REVEIW if you want another chapter posted!**

 **Aufweidersehen! (german, just so ya know)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok wow so much demand! Thank you guys for your encouragement! It means a lot to me!**

 **Ok, so for you Hellsing fans, I super strongly recommend watching the movie "Dracula Untold"- I swear on my life it will give you a new perspective on Alucard. In case you thought Hellsing has a unique interpretation of Dracula- of course someone else had to steal the thunder (in a way). But all in all its a fantastic movie. To the point I almost put song lyrics in here from the song "city of the dead" from the film. (told from Mina's perspective about what it feels like to be bitten by Vlad, I imagine) But I'll quit fangirling now. :3 I am, however, going to add some song lyrics from another song by the same artist because it semi-defines Alucard and Sera's relationship. NOT a songfic, just so we're clear, but the relationships are just...inspired by music. Poems will also probably be posted later, including one of Alucard's from the Manga. ("wait, Alucard wrote a poem?! when did we miss that?" You didn't... it was hiding in plain sight)**

 **I know, you're all on the egde of your seats waiting for Sebby and Alu to fight, but give me a few chapters to sort things out between characters. Besides, in a sense, they ARE fighting...just not on a physical level.(hehehehe) That will happen later. :) Oh, and I guess I lied about SEBASTIAN flirting with Integra...that will be Ciel's job, apparently.**

 **Now, shall we continue with Alucard's torment?**

 **WARNINGS: THIS IS EDGY. E D G Y. Allusions to Ciel's past are made here- if you don't know it, this might be a little bit of a spoiler. And before you ask, I have NO plans on making a Ciel X Integra pairing...unless you want me to go there. Then I guess I can work it in here. :)**

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 **CH IV**

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 _ **Become the Beast**_

 _By Karliene_

 _I've always been the hunter,_

 _Nothing on my tail,_

 _But something in you, I knew,_

 _Could make that change._

 _To capture a predator,_

 _You can't remain the prey,_

 _You have to become and equal in every way;_

 _So look in the mirror, tell me, who do you see?_

 _Is it still you- or is it me?_

 _Become the beast,_

 _We don't have to hide,_

 _Do I terrify you?..._

 _Or do you feel alive?_

 _Do you feel the hunger, does it howl inside?_

 _Does it terrify you- Or do you feel alive?_

 _Splinters of my soul cut through your skin-_

 _And burrow within, and burrow within,_

 _Splinters of my soul cut through your skin-_

 _And burrow within, and burrow within..._

 _So embrace the darkness,_

 _And I will help you see,_

 _That you can be limitless and fearless if you follow me;_

 _We are the lions_

 _In a world of lambs-_

 _We are the predators, the hunters,_

 _The hunters, the hunters-_

 _Become the beast,_

 _We don't have to hide-_

 _Do I terrify you?..._

 _Or do you feel alive?_

 _Do you feel the hunger, does it howl inside?_

 _Does it terrify you- Or do you feel alive?_

 _Splinters of my soul cut through your skin-_

 _And burrow within, and burrow within,_

 _Splinters of my soul cut through your skin-_

 _And burrow within, and burrow within_

 _(X2)_

 _Do you feel the hunger_

 _Does it howl inside?_

 _Does it terrify you- or do you feel alive?_

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Integra sat in her office desk, idly reading over some paperwork given to her by the round table in regards to their demon-predicament. Of course, none of them knew that the people the Queen had behested they work with _were_ demons, and she preferred to keep it that way; but that didn't stop their relentless quest for intel about the situation, especially since it _did_ involve demons, a subject that, obviously, was not Hellsing's area of expertise. Suddenly there was a soft knock at her closed door, and she looked back at the window a moment, noticing that it was now mid-morning at least.  
"Enter," she said, taking on a more rigid demeanor, as she always did before company- except for Alucard, as it were; it made no difference how hard she tried to hide from the psychotic vampire, he always seemed to find a way inside her head, in one sense or another.

"I do hope I'm not disrupting anything," the voice came before the boy, who stepped into her office soundlessly despite the marble floors. Surprised by his visit, she felt her guard shoot up when he closed the door behind him with a suddenly too audiable _click._

This was a bad situation to be in, she recognised immediately. It was just her, her paperwork, and a _demon_ stuck in a bulletproof room with the door closed- though hopefully not locked.

"You needn't be so nervous, Integra- I have no plans to harm you. Quite the opposite- we had a deal, after all." She didn't like the way he said that for some reason.

"Me? Nervous of you?" She defended with bravado. "I-"

"You have nothing." Ciel replied sharply. A suddenly Alucard-ish smile spread over his face, and her stomach unwillingly brought bile to her throat. "You know nothing. Demons are as elusive as ghosts to you people. I imagine this is probably intentional- we demons don't really like to tell our secrets." His voice was quiet but filled with something in its gray areas that both unsettled and mesmerised her. His voice was nothing like Alucards or even Sebastians with its subtle allure- they, at least, had a masculine sort of appeal to them. Ciel though- he was still just a boy, or at least looked like one; his voice was captivating in the way you might expect the rare "Child with the voice of angels" to capitvate you- his voice was clear, bright, and _pure_ for lack of a better word. It was fascinating and yet simultaneously horrendously unnatural. Especially considering that he was a _demon_ for God's sake!

 _'Has his voice always sounded that way?'_ she wondered for a moment before breaking away from her thoughts. A fuzzy thought pushed at the back of her mind, but it was lost before she could grab it.

"Still, a deal is a deal- I promised you information about how to fight our kind in exchange for your assistance training." Ciel said, and Integra had to blink. Her mind had gone fuzzy there for a moment, something which greatly unsettled her. Looking at the demon before her suspiciously, she tried to keep the clipped edge from her tone unsuccesfully as she replied,

"Yes, indeed you did. How did that go, in any case?" He laughed shortly.

"I think you'd be better to ask Alucard about that. It would appear he was not appreciative of your orders to him last night about not harming us. Though, frankly, it does pertain to this discussion so...perhaps I shall inform you." When had he come so close to the desk? It didn't matter- he leaned over it now, his voice once again taking on that captivating tone. She'd never admit it to anyone else, but it frightened and simultaneously thrilled her- she'd had Alucard try and fail to hypnotize her; the seals dissallowed it, and any attempt he made at trying to control her was ultimately thwarted or cancelled out by the seals, making hypnotising her impossible as long as they remained in place. Beyond getting inside her head, which was hard for him to do sometimes when she intentionally blocked him out, he could do nothing to sway her. She would admit to feeling _something_ for her servant, but it wasn't significant enough for him to use against her, and she made sure to keep it that way. He was nearly powerless against her, so she liked to think (even if she knew it wasn't true) - he couldn't kill her, either. Not directly. The seals prevented him from outright killing her, in any case. If he bit her or struck her and she then died, that was different, and it was something she always subconsciously kept tabs on whenever he became enraged by her orders.

But this demon before her- there were no seals, no restrictions, nothing to stop him from doing away with her at the breath of his whim. And yet, she got the strangest feeling that he hadn't been lying about not wanting to harm her. It was strange- but then, so was everything else going on. "Alucard was quite surprised to find that we demons are remarkably bulletproof." He said, snapping her out of her head again. What was up with her today? "He didn't get to shoot us, of course, but his little charge did. She unloaded a full handgun clip on Sebastian and myself," He said, and she looked up at his eyes despite herself (she had been warned by this very demon himself that looking into a demon's eyes was an inherently bad idea) and found his one open eye to be looking straight back. In a split second she felt her mind arrest, suddenly unsure if something was going to happen to her or not. He continued to talk, keeping her gaze steady, one blue eye to one blue eye. "Only to find that even your blessed silver bullets have almost no effect on us. They do sting quite a bit more than regular bullets though." He stated, his eye closing. She felt herself snap back from something, and was suddenly unsure where her mind had been going.

 _'Something is happening to me, being in this room with him.'_

"So what do you propose we use then? I don't have many men that are trained to use anything other than guns." She tried to keep up conversationally, hiding her increasing distress at being utterly _confused_ by this demon. _'is this what hypnosis feels like?'_ she wondered. Her mind felt incredibly sleepy. _'Damnit! Stay awake! I need to get away from him.'_ She was about to say something that would permit her leave, but her thoughts were interrupted when his hands made a sudden noise on her desk, startling her into looking up at him. He wore a sly smile that still somehow seemed...innocent, dare she say it.

"Well, there are swords that can hurt and even kill us, but they aren't fit for mortals to use," He said, leaning over her desk again, only inches from her. His voice fell in volume but kept its mesmerising childlikeness. "So I think deterrents are the better idea."

"Deterrents?" She said absently, only half paying attention. A pleasant kind of fogginess was rapidly consuming her mind, making her dreadfully sleepy. She noticed with a strange sort of expression that Ciel's hand was in the sunlight, yet he did not burn like a vampire.

 _"Yes, we are immune to sunlight."_ the voice seemed to echo in her head, kind of like how Alucard's did sometimes, and she felt a veil of darkness beggining to shroud her senses as she continued to stare absently at his hand, noticing before falling into darkness that he had a particularly pretty blue ring on his thumb.

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Integra awoke to find herself sitting at her desk once more, strangely awake. It was as if she hadn't been about to fall asleep but a moment ago. Coming around to her senses fully, she seen Ciel sitting opposite her in a chair. It was night now, she noticed with a whiping motion of her head as she looked behind her to confirm why the room was dark. The room was almost unnaturally dark, considering its white tile and the moonlight that shone in from the window. He sat with a regal-looking posture, and she every bit believed he had been an earl in his human life. He wore a knowing smile.

"YOU!" She roared suddenly- but he didn't even bat a lash. "What did you do to me?! You must have done something- I was falling alseep, like...like..." Her mind drew a blank suddenly, and she felt a warning buzz in her head, telling her something was not quite right. It was a dull noise though, and she couln't quite tell what it was trying to tell her, exactly. He stood suddenly, and she pulled her handgun from her desk on reflex. "Go ahead. Shoot me if it will make you feel better. Those bullets are little more than pin pricks to me." He said nonchalantly. It reminded her suddenly of Alucard. _'Alucard!'_ she thought with a sudden epiphany- his job was to protect her, right? Suddenly the demon in front of her laughed, a cold, tinkling sound, like falling ice hitting a metal floor. _'how do I know what that sounds like?'_

"You don't- but I do." He said. She seemed to realise what he was up to, gripping her pistol tighter. "You can read minds?"

"Not the way your servant can- I can only do that here." His words confused her, though her grip on the gun didn't falter. "He, however, can not."

"What on earth are you talking about, demon?" She demanded. She felt something slither up her waist then, making her involuntarily shudder- and looked down to find a black snake coiled about her waist.

She, Sir Integra Fairbrookes Wingates Hellsing, would never admit to panicking over anything in her life, never mind something like a snake- what with the fact she lived with vampires every day without so much as blinking twice at them. But unbeknownst to anyone, she'd always been deeply afraid of the slithering reptiles- ever since she was a little girl, they'd terrified her. She threw the snake off of her with as much force as she could muster, and raised her gun to shoot, feeling satisfied when the trigger drew back-

And utterly, undeniably terrified when it fired nothing.

"Empty clip? I figured as much. You couldn't shoot me if you wanted to." He said, smirking wider at her helplessness. She glanced around worriedly, trying to find the snake in the dark- but it had vanished mysteriously. A sudden epiphany hit her then, and she fought the urge to reach for a cigar in her desk at her own daftness. Then again-

"Yes, indeed. In case it should have escaped your notice by now, you are not in reality. Far from it."

"And just where am I, exactly?"

"Oh, here and there. Not really here _or_ there. Not really everywhere, but not quite nowhere. To put it bluntly, you are in your own mind, but also inside mine." He said, pacing the floor in front of her desk. "This is not an ability _all_ demons have, but it isn't exactly uncommon either- casting illusions, anyway." He said, smirk still in place. "It is something you are going to have to be aware of, and be consciously able to block. A demon can enter your mind in any number of ways- you must be aware of them all simultaneously, or they can theoretically use any one of them to affect you." He explained. He stopped then, and looked her dead in the eye as he spoke next, a more wicked smile coming into his child like features. "This is how I propose to train your men, Integra. By training you, and having you train them- the precise thing you are doing with us. Why you? How will it work?" He echoed her questions mockingly before she could even form the thought to ask them. "Simple. You are unable to be affected by your own Vampire, right? I presume the seals prevent him from manipulating you- much like the way Sebastians contract seal prevents him from lying to me." She could not help but be surprised by his apparent intition- then again, he could read her thoughts in here...

"I can read your mind no where else besides this place." He assured her. "I also can not lie to you here, since you are in my head just as much as I am in yours."

"Then why can I not read your thoughts?" She spat back, feeling defensive- she had nothing but her words to defend herself with; though if this was un-reality, did that mean she could suffer no physical damage?

He laughed. "An interesting thought, but that's not quite how it works. First, you wouldn't _want_ to know the kinds of things going on in the head of a creature like me. Especially not right now."

"Why?" she asked, and his smile faltered for a moment before coming back as a scary-looking grin.

"Well, as I can not lie- this is not usually something I do for the hell of it. I typically only get inside the minds of my prey- usually right before I devour them." Suddenly she regretted asking. "I find it adds to the appeal- like a garnish on a human dish, it pleases me to see the suffering their soul has endured before I devour it, before I end their torment." He grinned in an all too familiar madman like fashion, making Integra shudder.

"You-"

"No, sadly, I'm not going to eat you. You have quite a ripe soul, full of heartache and torment, but that's more of Sebastian's flavor, if you will, than mine. I prefer the younger souls- perhaps as I am still physically quite young myself."

"Y-you eat _children?!"_

"No, not children- but people with childish souls, angry souls. Souls to complete my own mostly absent one. Some days, I prefer childhood bitterness that has matured into adult suffering- other times a happy, pure soul suits me just fine. I _have_ always had a thing for sweets, though. " He laughed at himself and Integra silently wished it would stop, the bile rising in her throat and leaving a particularlly bad tatse in her mouth.

"Secondly, while you won't ever bleed from the wounds you sustain in here, they will hurt just as much as if they were real, and take considerably longer to heal. The wounds inflicted in here are psychological- wounds we both know all too well never quite go away." Sudden images invaded her mind against her will, there and gone in a evanescent flash. A young boy, the bars of an cage, the sound of rattling chains- candlelight, the smell of burning flesh; the screams, _oh_ the _screams_...

"Stop it!" She cried, holding her head as if to stop the onslaught. It ended just as fast as it came, but she could feel the images burn themselves into her mind like a branding iron-

"NO!" She screamed despite herself, feeling a phantom pain erupt on her flank.

"Like I said, our minds are connected here. What pain I feel, you feel. What pain you feel- well, it doesn't really affect me that way, but you get the idea." Suddenly everything just seemed to _stop_ , and it left her mind reeling, trying desperately to stop the spinning going on in her head right then.

"You- You're-"

"A monster? I thought you'd say as much."

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 **"** Master? Master?" Seras had been physically shaking her Master for some moments now as he stared blankly at the wall. She'd woken from her slumber to find him sitting on her bed, with a blank expression plastered onto his face, and hadn't gotten him to react since.

"Integra..." He said suddenly, voice barely audiable.

"Sir interga? What's happened? Is she hurt?" he took a long time to respond.

"No, I don't think so...but..." He seemed to fish for words. "Its as if she's... _gone."_ he sounded just as confused as Seras felt in that moment. "Like her mind isn't there anymore. No...its still there, but _I can't reach it._ " He growled suddenly. "Those damn demons...One of them is messing with her."

"Then we should go help her!" Seras cried, alarmed- what did he mean, _messing with her?_

"I think it's the little one. He's set up some kind of block in her mind so I can't reach her anymore. But then, I can't reach him, either. I can't reach either of those bloody demons unless they want me to." Seras took a moment to be surprised by his use of brittish vocabulary before feeling her worry about Integra spike. "But," He said, finally turning to look at her. "I don't think he's hurting her." Seras gave him a flustered look.

"How do you know?"

"I don't really know...I just have a sense that I should stay out of it. Its an instinctual thing. And my instincts are never wrong."

"Your instincts?" He chuckled darkly at this, and Seras was relieved to see some of her old Master. He really had been behaving strangely since the two demons had been allowed in the manor...it wasn't just the mutual bloodlust going on between him and Sebastian either. That was actually pretty normal for him. But this strange meloncholy that seemed to have overcome him lately was something else entirely- a deep sadness she'd never really seen in him before. Not like this, anyway.

"You really worry too much, Seras."

"I know, Master. But I can't help it. Between having demons we know almost nothing about living above us, and now disturbing Sir Integra, and your strange behavior, I'm beginning to think I'm the only one left still in her right mind, if you don't mind my saying." He laughed- for once a good sign. "Not at all, Police Girl. In fact, you are quite right- I most certainly have not been in my right mind lately. But the demons are just as much to blame for that as me."

"You keep saying that- but what exactly do you mean, Master? Are they disturbing you too?"

"Not in the same way. I keep trying to get into their heads, to uncover their real motives- or any ulterioir ones- but I am either met with a very hard, stubborn block that will not move no matter what I do to it, and or I am met with a soupy mess of images and memories that make absolutely no sense to me, visually or emotionally, and which seem to be giving me terrible daymares, both my own and what appear to be theirs- which makes no logical sense, since they don't sleep." His voice grew more prostrate with each word until he seemed to be witholding from yelling at her. "It doesn't make any sense at all." He repeated, voice thoughtful.

"M-maybe...Maybe they are getting into _your_ head, master, while you sleep." she offered, unsure.

"Maybe. I don't have the same mental walls when unconscious- no one does. That's exactly why I keep trying to catch them asleep- but the bastards don't seem to require sleep. That's what is so utterly maddening about them- I can't find _any_ weaknesses in them!" he finally did wind up yelling, but she let him do it. It wasn't very often Alucard was this upset by something.

"They are immune to bullets, to silver, to holy objects- even if, by definition, they should be _repelled_ by them; and now I can't get inside their heads, or at least I can't make sense of their thoughts when I do; Its _maddening!"_ He stood up suddenly, running a hand through his hair in what was the closest to a stressed gesture she'd ever seen him make as he began to pace in front of her bed. "Whats worse- this all should be _thrilling_ me, the challange of it all, but I just can't seem to enjoy it. Not when _I'm_ suffering more for it than _they_ are." Seras felt sympathy for him, even if she didn't totally understand his position. She could sense his stress through their mental link, and tried offering him some measure of comfort through it, literally trying to _push_ the emotion onto him, imagining it like her shadows, caressing his mind in an effort to soothe him. It seemed to work, and he looked back at her with an expression she'd never seen on him. It wasn't really placable. "That kindness of yours is going to get you killed, Seras." He said suddenly. His tone was flat, like it was a fact rather than a statement.

"And what would you propose instead? We can't all be like you, Master. Lord help us if that was the case." He laughed darkly, ignoring her sass for the time.

"You keep clinging to that God of yours, Seras. When he fails to answer you for the hundredth time you've pleaded, come find me." She rolled her eyes at him. _There_ was the old Alucard. Just then though, she thought of the nightmare he'd been having the other night. She couldn't blame him for losing his faith, whatever had happened to him, but didn't see why that meant she had to be like him. Wasn't it enough she killed humans for food now? (though she generally tried avoiding doing that to Integra's men). He laughed suddenly, obviously eavesdropping.

"It's never enough, Seras. I chose you for a reason- you will eventually become my equal- well, maybe not in power, but in every other way. And when you do- then and only then will I let you go." Sera's mind halted at his words. It wasn't really the words themselves that were unusual, but the possessive way he said them. A sudden question popped into her head, and she couldn't stop herself from asking, even though she immedaitely knew she didn't want to know the answer even before it left her lips.

"I know I'm your Childe, and you are my Master, but that doesn't make you... _own_ me or anything, right? Not by right?" She immediately regretted her question as he let out a dark peal of laughter to rival even the worst of thunderstorms. "Nothing in a Nosferatu's life is done _by right;_ you aught to know that by now," He said, grinning. "And I am the one to make that decision, not you. If I wish to own you, I will own you. If I were want to abandon you, I could." A breif flutter of panic flew through Seras' chest at the thought, completely unbidden. She'd lost her Master once, for a very long time, and while she never lost faith in him entirely, there had been more than her fair share of hopeless nights spent wallowing in self pity and drinking the blood of a stranger on the street to supplement her intake here at Hellsing. That's all she really used live humans for, really- supplements.

 _"you really are trying to turn me into you, aren't you, Master?"_ She thought. She received no immediate reply, but Alucard's grin grew perceptively wider.

 _ **"I am merely turning you into what you are, Seras."**_

"I know," She sighed. She was tired.

"Are you going to stay in here again, Master? If not, please let me go to bed. It's nearly mid-day, and we have to train _them_ again tonight." She did not hide her distaste. Training demons was hard when they had no physical weaknesses (that they could explore- Integra made it a point to order them not to physically fight the demons, which seemed utterly ridiculous to her at the time, until she remembered that Alucard and Sebastian wanted to tear each other a part.)

"Would you allow my company?"

"Um...I don't see why not. I mean, if you have a night- or rather daymare again, I'll just wake you up again." His face looked thoughtful for a moment before he grinned again- but it was a softer, less maniacal grin. He phased away before reappearing on the bed beside her, lying in the same position he had the other night.

"Goodday, Master."

"Good day, Seras."

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Sebastian sat in the Hellsing library, reading some of the books he'd found on the Nosferatu- Alucard and that girl Seras' species, as it were. It would seem their particular kind were Hellsing's specialty. Either that or it hadn't occured to them that there were other kinds of Vampire- a logical conclusion, since vampires tended to be regional, like any other animal, and different species preferred different climates. He was quite familiar with the oriental kinds, specifically the Japanese variety (or really variet- _ies)_ and was reasonably knowledgable of the Vampire King presiding downstairs, (having been around long before he became what he is) but admittedly he hadn't much cared to study up on the Nosferatu. They'd never been a problem for him. What few he had encountered made sure to keep out of his way, and he'd done so in kind. Such was the usual relationship of their kind. The only time Vampires and demons were ever brought into conflict was over a source of food, in which demons, being vastly more variable in their feeding habits, usually won.

But not always.

He could guess a thousand reasons why the demons he and Ciel were sent to deal with would coelesce with vampires, none of which involved prey- which was actually a question he had been rolling aorund in his mind for a few days now. How did they feed? Who on? They hadn't been making huge population dents, so either they were all very controlled or they had found some alternate source of sustenance. The thought of one such avenue made his nose scrunch in disgust.

Vampires could feed on demon blood- it didn't tatse great, they almost always threw it up, and if they consumed enough of it, it could even theoretically poison them. But in small, steady amounts, demon blood had the effect - on oriental vampire species, anyway- of steadily increasing their strength. But it was not without sacrifice. As they consumed the soulless demon blood, they may have grown stronger physically, but they grew dreadfully weak mentally and spiritually. It was worse if the demons fed on their blood in return- vampires, unlike demons, had most-souls. Breaking it down, demons had either no soul or very very little of one- hence their need to consume the souls of others. Vampires had a similar thing going on, Nosferatu especially, but they had more of a soul than demons did. However, when they fed on demon blood, it had the effect of "corroding" their existing souls like acid, slowly reducing them to empty demons themselves. Only, vampires weren't meant to function without souls- they effectively reverted into mindless, animalistic, _ghoulish_ creatures that constantly craved blood, blood, and more blood. They contantly hungered for a soul they could never regain, and ultimately it killed them in one way or another.

Consquences could be just as bad for demons- but one would have to go out of his way to feed almost exclusively on vampire souls and blood for it to affect them in a similar way, slowly poisoning them from the inside out. Still, it had been done, and demons had died doing it. It was shameful, really. It didn't help that vampire blood -and bite- was addictive- it had a similar drug-like effect on demons that it did on humans, which he'd found surprising; but considering that some vampires depended on blood exchange to reproduce, he could understand the need to make their blood as appealing and pleasure-inducing as sex, never mind their bite. It was a dreadful habit for a demon to fall into, and like with human drugs was one that usually killed the user from either gradual deterioration or sudden, violent overdose.

Shameful. Truly shameful.

He closed the book and stoked the fire burning in one of two fireplaces in the massive room- personally it seemed entirely bad tatse to put fireplaces in libraries full of flammable, fragile objects, but that was probably just him. Humans certainly liked to do it, in any case, even if the logic eluded him. He hadn't known who stoked it, but it was lit when he came in. He poked at it, all too familiar with the action. He recalled with almost-fondness the days when Ciel was human. Those were promising days.

When he'd seen what Hanna had done, of course he'd been livid. The meal he'd waited so long for was now forever out of his reach- all that work, and he'd done it for nothing. And now that he could not take Ciel's soul, he could not feed the way a normal demon did*, making him even more furious, as well as humiliated. But, not all hope had been lost with this change. He was bound to another demon now- which meant he could openly defy his superior demons almost- almost- as much as he liked, now that they did not own him- Ciel did.

And, oh, how different Ciel was. He could not say he loved him- he did not know how to feel such an emotion. But Ciel had been his savior in disguise, bringing him away from his "home" that he was expected to go back to whenever he completed a contract- some home it was. The very thought had him seething on the spot, making the fire unknowingly bend to his will as it rose beyond the confines of its rusty prison, threatening to lap at the books. He calmed himself and the fire quickly though, and let out a sigh. He was grateful, for lack of a better word, that Ciel had given him even a temporary reprieve from his home life. His litterally _hellish_ home life.

He thought of his new master, the irony of the situation he was in not escaping him. He could probably defy the contract if he tried hard enough, but he was lazy- there was no reason to spoil a fun game of cat and dog, anyway, was there?

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 **Ok! I am in hyperdrive right now with this fic, but be prepared for updates to slow down since I have finals next week. That and I have another fic, The Silent Moon (Inuyasha fic) that is in dire need of an update with the next dramatic chapter (PLOT TWIST for those reading it..mwahahah). Haven't gotten any reviews for my other Naruto fic, so no updates pending there. :) K, now that i've bored you-**

 **ASTERISKS!**

 ***Sebastian feeding:** _Hopefully that will be explained more in another chapter- as will sebby's home life and_ _ **identity.**_ _Didn't expect me to go there, didya? Well, hang on to your britches (or skirts) cuz things are going to get so far from "normal" in this fic that you'll undoubtedly be scratching your heads with a "WTF?" look on your faces by the time I'm done here. (all without breaking character or turning into an AU- whoohoo!) That is my hope at least. :)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok! I think this is the fastest I have ever written a fanfiction- and it's a crossover at that! And OMG THANK YOU GUYS SO FREAKING MUCH! You have no idea how much your reviews make me grin- to the point my mother thinks I am reading things of a...questionable nature. (hehehehe) Your feedback is keeping this ball rolling at terminal velocity! THANK YOU!**

 **Ok, now that we are done with the mushy stuff-**

 **I swear, that fight is gonna come- but not before Sebastian works his dastardly magic on our poor Alu. And on that note...I SERIOUSLY want to know if you want a mini Ciel X Integra scene, because frankly I seen the opportunity and now the thought will not leave me alone. I am okay going either way. I also seen an opportunity to have a Sebastian X Seras moment (courtesies one reviewer who expressed concern for Sebastian getting to her...I am evil, I know) And any number of opportunities for a strange Sebastian x Integra moment or- *gasp* heaven forbid I put a SEBBY X ALUCARD moment in here. (I can hear the yaoi fans freaking out right now, though it wouldn't be what I would personally consider Yaoi for that scene...which would come during their epic battle) But these will be MOMENTS and nothing more- my pairings remain faithful...even if the characters are not. Let me know what you think- I enjoy catering to my audience in an environment that lets me interact with them. (a novel, by comparison, does not allow for this exchange) and by all means, KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING! They are MASSIVELY inspirational and help me improve my sense of timing for this fic. On that note-**

 **WARNINGS: There is some time-jumping-around going on. I hope that is not too confusing...But being as the time/space inside Integra's mind is not the time/space of reality, you'd expect it to be confusing. More of the edginess from last chapter in regards to Ciel's powers...which shall be revealed henceforth. SPOILERS for Black Butler. (kind of) Sebastian's true colors showing through. The usual.**

 **Onwards!**

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 **CH V**

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"How are you inside my mind?" Integra asked bitterly. "You said there were a number of ways a demon could enter one's mind. How'd you get in mine then? I only looked into your eyes once, and I am confident that that wasn't what caused...this." She gestured with her monocular gaze around the dark room. It felt like they'd been there forever, but the full moon outide never moved. _'funny, it's not a full moon in the real world...I remember seeing it the other night, a crecent.'_ Ciel laughed. His laugh had a cold, sharp edge to it that reminded Integra of a knife. A pretty, clean, silvery knife, or maybe a sword, like the decorative ones her father once kept. Sharp and dangerous, but nice to look at and fascinating to examine- with caution. "Easy- my voice." Integra blinked at him. Well _that_ made sense. "Your voice?" she asked anyway, for clarification. "Yes. I have the ability to manipulate and entice people with the sound of my voice. It is quite a useful skill- but sadly it does not work on demons. Rather, it only seems to influence humans."

"To what extent can you 'manipulate' humans with this ability?" she asked, wondering suddenly what her body was doing while her mind was in here.

"I can make them do things- but I can't make them do anything they wouldn't do normally. My voice works like alcohol more than anything, and in that sense also influences everyone differently. It puts everyone to sleep, in a sense; but what they dream is never the same. Like this place- you invented it, not I. And that snake, and the empty chamber- all things you created. Echoes of nightmares, of fears; its almost poetic, how it works." Ciel smiled suddenly in a way that instantly reminded Integra of Walter for some reason. "Right now your body is stationary, but I could make you move it if I desired. I haven't quite perfected the technique though, so I'm afraid you'd look like a drunken fool if I made you walk around. I can make you talk, too; and say _anything_ I like." He grinned mischeiviously. "But I won't. Your servant is already onto me, I'm afraid, so manipulating your body would give him all the incentive he needed to come in here and start something."

"Alucard? He knows what's going on?"

"Not in here- in your, in _my_ mind. I've deliberately blocked him from being able to see what is going on in here. See, he can't read a demons mind the way he can a humans- demons don't think the same way humans do; their brains, from what I can gather, work in an entirely different way. More akin to a dolphin than a human, if we're making examples." He said, smug smirk on his pretty face. Oh how she wanted to punch him right now.

"Go ahead. I don't mind, _Integra._ You have no bullets, and nothing else with which to fight me. Hit me, if you want. It won't hurt me in the slightest." She could not stand this tiny demons utterly infuriating sense of superiority any longer; without giving another half a though to it, she fell right into the trap she knew he'd laid, partly out of anger, but also partly out of curious cunning. She wanted to see what he'd do.

Charging him, she noticed he did not look the least bit surprised, and furthermore still had that smug, knowing look on his face. She aimed right for that smirking mouth of his, careless of his thirteen-year old appearance. She knew he was not as young as he appeared. Her fist cocked, and she realised suddenly that in her own mind, she was still twenty-something and had loads more energy than she did in her real, fifty-something body. She thrust her fist forward, almost surprised when he made no move to stop her.

Almost.

He was there, not a centimeter from the brunt of her punch, and in the next millisecond he was _gone._ Not 'he moved too fast for her to see it', no. He dissipated like Alucard, without the smoke. His image just... _vanished._ She caught herself before she fell- or, she thought she did. A sudden hand, tiny and deceptively dainty caught her around the waist and hauled her up, an arm swiftly gripping her around her lower ribs with an iron like grip that knocked the air from her lungs as if she'd of fallen anyway. Another hand came up to grasp her arm, twisting it in a very uncomfortable but not painful way behind her. His throaty, eerie chuckle sounded in her ear before she felt his _cold_ breath against the back of her jacket, seeping through the cloth and sending a litteral chill down her spine. "Caught you, human." He mocked, twisting her arm ever so much. "I could break you. In so many ways, right now, I could break you- your bones, your spirit, your _soul_ ; I could break them all, if I wanted to. I could break your _mind,_ turn you into a being no better than the monster you keep as a slave," He said, voice quiet in a dangerous, sadistic kind of way. "It wouldn't take much, either. Humans are really disgustingly fragile, if I may say so- I aught to know, since I was one once." His words reminded her again of Walter, and she cringed despite herself. He tightened his grip on her arm then to the point of causing her pain, as if to prove his point. She smirked then, her own pride taking the front seat. "What's your point, demon? I know you aren't going to do it. You value your own self too much; and lord forbid you disappoint the Queen. What a blow that would be to the Phantomhive name; the Queen's "guard dog" put into the dog house because he couldn't get along with the family cat." She taunted him. She could practically feel is ire from behind her, though he moved not a millimeter. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he let her go. She rubbed her forearm absently where he'd grabbed it, noticing with surprise that it was beginning to bruise as if it were a real wound.

"Nicely played, human. I think I am going to enjoy you." She didn't like the way he said that as she turned around to look at him, finding that her actions had done nothing to wipe the look of smug indignation from his face. He seemed, for lack of better terms, amused. "This shall be a fun game indeed."

"Is this what all this is to you- a _game_?" She asked, now seriously agitated at being played with. Scratch that- she was _pissed._ His tinklingly sharp laughter made her that much angrier. "Life is a game when you've grown old enough to play it." was his reply. It caught her off guard, her anger lost in a moment of...was it understanding? "I've been alive more than one-hundred thirty years. Not nearly as long as your vampire slave and _certainly_ not as long as Sebastian has been around- not by a few _millenia_." He said, voice taking on a disturbingly coy tone. Was he really trying to _flirt_ with her? "But I have seen more in my lifetime than any mortal man could dream to. Or have nightmares about." Again, the evanescent images of that boy sitting in a cage came unbidden to her mind. She realised with a start that it was _him._ "Indeed. I have been through much torment in my human life- which is what drew Sebastian to me in the first place. He's always been one to revel in the taste of a truly tortured soul; and no soul was, or has been, as tormented as mine was in my human life." An echo of a feeling akin to true anguish struck her heart then, and she realised with another start that she could feel his emotional pain just as much as his physical pain in this...wherever they were.

"Indeed." He seemed to reply to her thoughts. Suddenly, another image aussaged her mind with too much force for her to stop it- this time though, it was a memory of Sebastian, and a pretty recent one if she was to guess; she just _knew_ somehow that Ciel was a demon in the image, which startled her visibly as she alowed her mental eyes to scan the image. It was of Sebastian, holding Ciel in a strangely vampire-like fashion with his hand on the back of the demon's neck and his other hand at his waist. His fangs, elongated, were poised to strike Ciel's body- most notably his neck. It was such a familiar sight to her that she almost didn't think it strange; until she recalled they were demons, not vampires. They were in a theatre of kinds, what looked to be a dead body situated behind them as they kneeled in the seat hall of the theatre; the rest of the room seemed to be vacant. She snapped back from the memory that wasn't hers with a shiver- it had been cold in that theatre. She looked at Ciel expectantly, but he wore an incredulous, ' I can't believe that just really happened' look on his face. He seemed to snap out of it after a moment, looking back at Integra with a suddenly guarded expression. Clearly she wasn't meant to see that.

"What was that?" she asked. He looked thoughtful for a moment, as if debating whether it was worth it to tell her or not.

"Sebastian's contract seal was formed when I was human. In exchange for his assistance with a...personal, matter, he would recieve my soul, as payment." He began. "But I was transformed into a demon before that could be completed. So he never got my soul- and the contracting seal never went away." He paused, seeming to gather his thoughts. "Because we never completed my part of the contract, he is eternally bound to me- but at an additional price. Because the contract explicitly states that he was meant to have my soul, and the contract never completed, he can no longer feed the same way I do, now that my soul is forever out of his reach." Integra felt her eyes widen involuntarily at the admission. "He must instead take his sustenance from me another way. The way we kill and consume our prey is quite alike to how your vampires feed- we take their blood, and with it, their souls." She shuddered involuntarily as the topic once more came back around to the feeding habits of the creature before her. "We must, as a consequence, hunt together- something that is not natural for our kind- for he must re-absorb the souls I ingest in order not to starve. In short, I have to feed on a persons soul, and then have him take it back from me via my blood, usually, before I fully absorb the soul. It is now the only way he can feed, making him that much more bound to me." He said, vain smirk on his face. This was a boy who liked to have power over others, she decided. Not so much unlike herself, really.

"I see...does this happen with other demons?" She could not help but ask. As he'd said, demons were as elusive as ghosts to her. What knowledge she gained now could help her greatly down the road. "No. Me and Sebastian are the only demons we know to share such a situation." She'd been expecting him to say "bond" and was suddenly curious, if only for a moment, if demons could feel compassion. "Not in quite the same sense as you might understand it, no. Our compassion is more akin to what your _dracula_ might feel for that young vampire charge of his. A sort of affection better fitting of a cat than the true sense of love and empathy that a human can feel. Our emotions are much more primal than yours, our psyche built differently. We can not feel what you would call _love_ , but we can not feel hatred either." he explained, hand at his side coming up to gesture in slow circles in the air as he spoke. "Greed, envy, wrath, lust, sloth, gluttony and pride- those are what a demon feels the most. Not coincidently, either." She shook her head, a wry bark of laughter escaping her despite her efforts to convince herself there was nothing enjoyable about talking to this demon. He was purposefully charming, she knew- how well she knew- and yet she felt no need, unlike with Alucard, to escape the trap she knew, logically, she was waltzing right into.

 _'must be a trick of the mind. Can one be hypnotised while being hypnotised?'_ His laughter confirmed than maybe, just maybe, she could be.

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Sebastian walked the halls that night, bored. Training had gone smoothly- however disappointingly, since his favorite vampire plaything hadn't shown up that evening, apparently having business to do in other places. It hadn't taken more than a night for him and Ciel, who now was reading in their room some obscure book borrowed from the library on alchemy, a subject he'd questioned but said nothing of, to learn the basic "aim for the head and heart" routine. Training mostly was done for the vampiress's benefit, since she was the only one allowed to "harm" them, and had, with permission, been leveled up to hand-to-hand combat sparring, much to Alucard's changrin when Integra had ordered him not to participate. Ciel had given him similar orders, which he would follow- for now.

She was much physically stronger than he initailly gave her credit for. Truly the Childe of the Vampire King, he mused. She'd been fast, too, but not fast enough that he could not catch her or predict her movements. After all, he'd been fighting for centuries, _millenia_ even; there wasn't a fighting style he didn't know by now. Still, her movements were crude- a rookie, a novice to hand-to-hand combat, he guessed. Still, he'd gone easy on her, maintaining a gentleness that Ciel, when it came his turn, had not even bothered to impose. He let her see just how strong a demon could be, throwing her about and thrashing her quite well. He had been Sebastian's pupil, after all, and had been taught in his human life a great deal of self-defense techniqiues. She had been, as well, which wasn't surprising; Alucard did call her "Police Girl" after all. But her techniques often backfired when Ciel used them to his advantage, having no moral bondaries about "fairness" or "honor". He'd always been that way. "Honor" to Ciel meant something vastly different from the usual sense of the word; even he had an honor code, albeit a strange one, as did Sebastian himself, in an equally strange way, but it was precisely that- strange.

He sensed the Seras girl long before she became apparent in the hall. She would have to learn to hide her energy. "Good evening, Seras." He greeted with a smile, as always. She jumped at the sound of his voice with a squeak, having apparently been wrapped up in her thoughts. She noticed him finally in the near pitch black of the hall. Of course, to them it was more like the light of a cloudy day, as the moon was but a crescent now, and soon due to vanish entirely for one night. "I should hope this evenings training has not left you too tender." he said conversationally. She eyed him suspisciously, and he did not miss the tremor of fear that crept up her from the toes. She did well to hide it though, as she replied. "Oh? It's nothing. Alucard's done worse, believe me." She said with a nervous laugh. He intimidated her. Good. "That can't be a good way to establish a relationship with one's Childe." he said, faux sympathy in place. She gazed him up and down, seeming to buy the facade. Also good. "Well, he does it with good intentions, so..."

"That is no excuse to be barbaric," He replied, making a face. "I see no reason to bruise such pretty skin." She blushed furiously at the admonishment, answering his question if vampire's blood still flowed beneath their skins. "Or to break bones that have no need of breaking. Blood taking, I can't say much for; that seems to be quite pleasurable, from what I have heard." Her blush deepened. She was so naive- how ever did her Master not take advantage of such innocence? "Of course, I've never been bitten by a vampire. Nor have I drank the blood of one myself, though I hear that both are like wine to demons. Well, drinking their blood is like wine; their bite like a lover's touch. Or so I am told." Sebastian seen her guard go up and her muscles tense as if to flee- but he couldn't have that, he'd be bored all night- or what was left of it.

"Would you care to take a walk with me, Seras? I am quite sure you have questions about our kind, and I have questions of my own." She seemed wary. "I promise I don't bite." She snorted at this, but clearly found it amusing. "Ha-ha. But..." She looked back at where she'd come from, in the direction of the basements she and her master presided in. He could practically hear her thoughts. " I am not using you to take advantage of Alucard either. I am above such underhandedness. If- no, _when_ we fight, it will be done with a blind ambition and a sense of integrity- on both our honors." He said, and he wasn't lying; if he was going to fight an opponent on level ground, then the ground was going to be _level;_ it gave Alucard the advantage in any case, something that made the fight worthwhile.

"Okay...but I don't think Master is going to like it if you whisk me away without his permission. I am his Childe, after all, and you're a-" She paused. She needn't finish her sentance.

"I understand. Do what you must, then meet me in the garden for our stroll, should he permit it." He decided that he would play by his opponent's rules until the right moment, which, by the looks of things, was a long ways off.

He'd let Alucard into his head a few times- usually he tried during the day, but sometimes at night, trying to catch Sebastian asleep, most likely. Only, demon's brain's worked akin to a dolphins, with one side awake while the other slept, barring the need for actual sleep, which rested both sides at the same time. But demons added another element to their brain-sleeping patterns, as it wasn't just one hemisphere of the brain that could de-activate and sleep at any given time, but most all sections of their brain individually, excepting parts that controlled vital functions. (demons did have heartbeats, just very, very slow ones) What did that mean? It meant that you never knew what a demon was thinking because what seemed to be an action fueled by one part of their brain was performed by another part entirely. What looked like an emotional response was a logical one, what looked like a purposeful movement was just a mindless tick. It was biological deception at its finest, and Sebastian took full advantage of that. However, there was another element to this- not only could demons consciously (once one got old enough) control the parts of their brains that were _inactive_ , so they could control the parts that were _active._ That was how Ciel's ability worked, in any case; he could induce a trance like state with his voice and lull a person into mindlessness whilst simultaneously manipulating their bodies because both sides of his brain were performing separate tasks simultaneously. It gave new meaning to the term " _split personality"._

Sebastian watched as Seras walked away in a rush, not missing the glance she threw over her shoulder to make sure he did not follow. He let himself smile darkly in the hall. This was going to be entertaining, he was sure- be it in one way or the next.

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 **OK! I don't think there's any asterisks in there, but let me know if I missed one! Next chappie: How Alucard loses his shit because Seras is fraternizing with the enemy. Please, let me know what you guys want! I will do my best to incorporate! You can even throw a good plot twist at me (though I assure you there is some to come) I am willing to take it all. Critique is equally as accepted. :) Don't forget- REVIEW! Until then, lovlies, Aufweidersehen!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hyperspeedy updates from yours truly! Thank you again for the reviews! K, I decided that a SerasxSebby moment was in order for this one. Sebastian is just too damn seductive. And Seras too naive. The opportunity was really too perfect. But first, lets dive into the fray, shall we?**

 **WARNINGS: in case you missed it, SERAS x SEBASTIAN moment in here. The opportunity was really too much- and besides, what better way to start a fight between Sebastian and Alucard?**

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 **CH VI**

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Seras stopped in front of her Master's door, suddenly unsure of herself. She glanced back over her shoulder warily, the action coming as an impulsive reflex. She had a bad feeling about her encounter with the demon in the hallway- but he'd been right about her having questions for him. Important questions, if she were to say so; she knew next to nothing about these creatures, who were going to ultimately be her opponent in the future; the more she could learn, the better- besides, what better a source of information than from the creatures themselves? As far as Seras was concerned, these demons were criminals from her long-gone police days; she'd been a rookie, sure, but she knew enough about the system to know how to properly interrogate a difficult criminal- though she was unsure exactly just what kind of "difficult" Sebastian constituted as. She imagined whatever the case, she'd have to tread carefully. Suddenly, she had the idea that maybe it wouldn't be wise to tell Alucard she was going to be hanging out with his to-be arch-rival. Still, he had to know she would be away from the manor, or else he'd come looking for her- something that would ultimately ruin her theoretical interrogation of the demon, she was sure.

"Are you going to just stand out there Seras, or are you intending on coming in?" She thought about it for a moment. Maybe it would be better if she didn't tell him face-to-face; she'd always been a terrible liar and she knew he'd become suspicious if she didn't come out and tell him the truth outright. Never mind the fact he could just pop into her head and figure out what she was up to anyway, though he seemed to do that a lot more when they were face-to-face, which made no sense to her, but whatever. "I just wanted to let you know I'll be taking a walk. I...need time to myself." She said, hiding her nerves rather well, in her opinion. Lying to Alucard was always a bad idea even in the best of circumstances, but if she wanted answers she knew she'd have to take that chance. "Oh? And why ever would you need such time? You are not the kind to enjoy solitary company. Why do you not face me?"

"Do I really need to come in to tell you I'll be going out?" She said, feeling cheeky suddenly. She used it to her advantage, too- Alucard hated sass, and if she played her cards safely he'd get annoyed and leave her be. She almost had to smirk at her own cunning. Almost. "Look, you...you're right about that, but sometimes a girl just needs time to think." There was a long pause as he seemed to contemplate her words. She felt his consciousness brush hers and promptly shut a mental door in his face, making it clear she did not want him intruding on her thoughts. "Fine. Do as you like. It is no concern of mine." She heard his tell tale annoyed drawl from behind the door and took it as permission. Some part of her always thought it was silly that she insisted on asking his permission to do some things, as if she wasn't an adult by now and could do things on her own. She'd done whatever she wanted, in a loose sense, when he'd been gone; why did his presence seem to bring out these childish urges?

 _'likely because he is technically my sire...well, my vampiric sire, anyway.'_

She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat as she approached the gardens. Sure enough, Sebastian stood there, looking every bit as regal as Alucard but in a subtler, less flamboyant sense. "I take it you have permission from your Master then?" He inquired. She took a milisecond to notice that his voice was really silky, which was so much different from Alucard's usually smooth but dark voice. Whereas Sebastian's voice was like dark red satin, she attributed Alucards to- silly though it seemed, for he was a _nything_ but sweet- dark chocolate. Alucard's voice had a ritchness to it that was decidedly lacking in Sebastian's voice; then again, she didn't assume he was loud and up-front like Alucard either. Which, if she was being honest, she wasn't sure was a good thing. "Something like that," she admitted sheepishly. He seemed to accept her answer before gesturing to the gravel path through the garden. "This way, if you don't mind. Unless you had someplace specific to go to in mind?" She resisted a blush at the multitude of possible inclinations that prase proposed. "N-no. I don't mind at all." She lead the way down the path, feeling self conscious and strangely vulnerable with a demon at her back, but she kept her head held high and didn't show it for as much as she could control it. "I believe you had questions, Miss Victoria." He announced suddenly, and she realised with half a start that he was much closer to her than she thought- but at least he was at her side now, instead of her back. "Oh, um, yes...can demons die?" The question sounded dumb even in her head, but after fighting them one on one, she had to ask.

"Hn, an intrigueing question. I have seen demons die, but they can not die by...mortal, means. We are after all, immortal creatures. " She looked at him then, watching his thoughtful face as he ran a gloved hand over his jaw. "What do you mean?" she asked, consfused. Vampires were immortal, too, but they could still die by what she considered "mortal" means.

"You see," He said, fishing for words. "I have only ever seen a demon kill another demon. It's unheard of for a human to actually _kill_ one of our kind, though obviously they can exorcise us, which doesn't really kill us, so much as banish us to wherever it is we came from. For some demons, that means Hell. For others, it means a differnt dimesional plane adjoined to this one." She swallowed thickly depite herself, but felt curiousity quickly bubbling up in her. "A-are you-" she was suddenly wary of asking her question, fearing it might be too personal (as well as fearing its answer); but then, if she was interrogating him..."Are you one of the demons from...from Hell?" She asked quietly, surprised when he laughed at her. "That remains to be determined at this point- but I was...born, in a sense, there." She felt her heart jump in her chest, but kept her outward calm like a pro. "I see." She said. A tremble worked through her involuntarily, and she could barely recall having ever felt this nervous in her life- except from her human days, maybe, but as she aged she found that those memories tended to fade significantly.

"Are you chill, Miss Victoria? You seem to be shaking." He said in such a way that she was almost positive he was mocking her- subtly mocking her, but mocking nonetheless. She chose not to comment, knowing anything she said could be used against her at this point. "Y-you know you can call me by my given name." She offered. A sense of closeness to one often made them open up more, she found; but then, she wasn't really sure that demon's worked that way. They were, after all, supposedly solitary. Speaking of which-

"Do you suppose there is more than one demon working with the vampires?" She asked, seeming to catch him off his guard. He thought a long moment, the silence only broken by the soft crunch of her boots on the gravel- she noticed then with a bit of a shock that he made no noise as he walked.

"I could see the potential benefits." He said after a moment, voice...distasteful?

"Like?" she prompted. He sighed at length and it gave her the impression that this was going to be a long explaination.

"Well, vampire blood and bite do have a drug-like effect on us, and having more than one demon present could mean being able to protect that resource better...but it's likely that there is some ulterior reason that they would group together, if that is the case. Most likely the vampires have bargained with the demons some sort of exchange- protection in exchange for blood, bite and...possibly other things." She did not like the things his tone implied there, and nearly shuddered at the thought. Prostitution was not something she fancied, in theory or practice (not that she'd ever whored herself out for something...unless you counted seducing men into striking range; _that_ she was guilty of). "What do you think their objective is?" She asked honsetly. He stopped suddenly, and she realised they were at the very edge of the estate. A nervous flutter began in her stomach- they were about as far from the manor as they could be at this point, being as she had inadvertently lead him through the wooded area of the estate, having travelled that path so many times with Alucard while training (mostly how to phase through objects- he'd figured a tree was easier than a wall for the novice) that her feet just kind of lead her there. She jumped when his voice sounded, closer than she'd of liked at the time. He was once more behind her. "I can not say for sure- they don't seem to be doing a lot of harm though, the demons anyway."

"No- the vampires are just carelessly snatching onto people and making Ghouls turn up around every corner."

"Ah, but the Ghouls are not together, are they?" Suddenly a light of understanding lit up somewhere in her head at the realisation. She did not notice, then, that he had gotten closer. "You're right- the reports of Ghouls we keep getting are all isolated, but they are happening so frequently...and then theres the demons, which we haven't seen since the Hampshire thing..." She trailed off, uncomfortable talking to him without facing him. She turned to find him but a few dozen centimeters* from her, and gasped audiably at the sudden proximity. She backed up, but immediately felt the wet bark of a tree his her back. It had rained recently, so everything around them glistened with water, making the winter air feel exceptionally chill- though she hardly noticed, being as she was. A cloud passed over the exposed crecent moon, plunging them into a darkness even Seras had a hard time seeing in. Her guard flew up, expecting something, but as the moon's dim light shone on them again, she found he had not moved, and was simply looking at her with a deceptively polite smile. He was messing with her, she told herself- nothing to get worked up over. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her anyway, right? I mean, there was Alucard-

"Seras," He said her name, and it made her shiver. "A most...unusual name, but then I've heard stranger." He said, tone light and almost conversational. She wasn't buying it.

"What is your real purpose here?" She asked suddenly, though he looked not the least bit surprised. "My purpose? Well, I am bound to Ciel, so I must go where he goes- but my personal reasons are as you might imagine- to have a long overdue battle with the vampire you call your Sire." he said, smug smile appearing on his features. "And by that I mean, of course, that I have not had a decent opponent in some time. It has been nearly a century and a half since my last real battle, and more than three millenia since I found a fight challanging." A sudden question entered her mind then, as if placed there randomly by someone not herself. "How old are you, anyway? Really," she asked. If he wanted to play mind games, she'd give him a run for his money- or she'd try. He laughed, and she noticed again that while Alucard's laugh was dark and intimidating, Sebastians had a colder, sharper edge to it. "Not that it is of much relevance, but if you must know-" He paused for what seemed to be dramatic effect- it worked wonderfully as he answered, "I am older than the deity you christian's worship." At her shocked expression, he smiled wider. She looked at him incredulously. "You- You're seriously older than _christ?_ " She asked. Her mind struggled to wrap around a number figure, but in any event she didn't really need one to be suddenly awed and simultaneously terrified of the demon in front of her, her back pressing into the tree bark almost painfully now. "I have long since lost count of the years precisely, but I would venture to guess at seven thousand." Her eyes bugged at this. No wonder he was so damn strong! There was no way Alucard could face a demon like that! _Alucard!_ She thought- she had to tell him, to let him know what he was really going up against, but a sudden sensation on her waist halted all thought entirely. She felt the ghost of his touch on her arm, and immediately jerked away from him, a defensive hiss she didn't even know she could make coming through her lips at the contact, revealing her fangs in a very obvious warning- _stay back, I bite._

"There's no need for that, Seras." He used her given name to mock her now, she was sure. "I have no intentions to harm you. Merely brushing aside some debris you seem to have accumulated walking through the wood." She was initailly confused by his too-wordy language, only to look at her shoulder and find that, indeed, she had leaves on her. She brushed them off quickly, throwing him a suspicious glance. He chuckled darkly. "It would appear you do not believe me. I assure you, I am nothing of your Master in any type of regard."

"I can see that." She hissed, a sudden venom lacing her words- where had that come from? He 'tsk'- ed at her shortly. "Really I am curious about your relationship to him. I've already said that I will not use you to get to him, for I am above such things, but a part of me still wants to know- after all, he seems to treat you quite badly from my perspective." His words made her mind halt again, absorbing them slowly. "Master doesn't treat me badly...he just...isn't really good at using his words." She paused, thinking. "He just doesn't communicate the same way I do, that's all. I still understand him, in any case."

"But do you?" He challanged. She was about to growl at him, but his next words blindsided her. "How do you now that that is not your mind's way of rationalising his abuse?" Her mind stuck to that one word, the way it sounded in her head rubbing her all the wrong ways. "Abuse?"

"Do you not see it? I may not be central to your interactions, but Alucard tries to get into my mind sometimes- and quite accidentally alows me to see inside of his." She was about to have a "aha! I knew it!" moment, but he continued before she could vocalise this. "Some of the things I have seen would give an innocent girl like you most wretched nightmares." She looked at him almost dumbly for a moment. "Funny, " She replied. "Alucard said the same thing." She said absently, thinking.

"Indeed. He suffers a most tortured childhood- though his story is not mine to tell, I can see the way it has affected him; he is angry. Deeply, deeply angry." She couldn't stop herself from looking at him, too interested for her own good, she knew- but she'd never met anyone besides Integra who could read Alucard. "And you- poor Seras, you have become a target of that anger. A way to vent it- a way to release it. It's not fair, to you or to him; hurting his Childe makes her lose trust in him, after all, am I right?" She looked down then, mulling over his words. True, she wasn't sure at this point how much she would ever be able to trust someone like Alucard...but he was still her Master. Besides, though she hated him somtimes, usually things worked out between them. But...he said maybe her mind was just justifying his actions- why? What did she need him for?

 _'so you aren't totally alone like you were before'_ a voice said somewhere in the back of her mind. Her thoughts were becoming all scrambled up, and she crumbled to the ground, frustrated and admittedly hurt tears pricking at her eyes. Was he really mean to her just for the hell of it? Probably, but...But...

"There there, no need to be upset. It was a revelation you were bound to make on your own; but likely by the time that happened, he'd of broken you beyond repair. I am doing you a favor, telling you this- I genuinely have no malicious intentions, despite what you may think of me otherwise." The guiltlessness (not exactly innocence, but guiltlessness) in his tone made her want to believe him- but he was a _demon..._

"Not all demons are evil, you know. Just as not all vampires are like Alucard- creatures with no sense of identity and a deep, unacknowledged anger that makes them bloodthirsty _monsters._ " She choked on a sob that broke out of her mouth before she could stop it- how had they gotten here, with her on her knees in front of this demon, crying?

"I promised Integra I would not harm anyone here- including you. I may seem jesting and quite meloncholy, but that is the way that demons are. I can not help my nature any more than you can help the fact you require blood as sustenance. Alucard, though- he may not always be aware that he is losing his temper initially, but surely he must be aware of how he is affecting you? Surely he knows when he has broken your bones and injured you too much- yet he does so again and again. He is a real monster- and strange though it may sound, I pity you for it." Sebastian had come to kneel beside her now, her mind processing his words numbly. "And yet you keep coming back for more- why? What has he done for you that makes him so irresitable- that makes the pain worth it?"

"H-he is my Master," she replied weakly. It was as if her emotions had just given out, and now she felt almost hollow as the shock worked through her.

"As I have said, that is no excuse for his behavior, or yours," He continued. "You can find company in others, surely- surely he is not your only companionship?" his words struck a new life into her heart, making it ache with the memory of lonliness. "He's the only vampire I know, besides...I can't get away from him. He's everywhere, but nowhere...he can be anywhere, at any point in time." Sebastian made a note of this news in the back of his mind, continuing.

"But what if you could, if only for a day?" She looked up at him then, finding his eyes to be quite different from before- they seemed to almost glow in the darkness, and were a much bolder red with a cat-like pupil. Demon eyes...

"What do you mean?" She asked, suddenly entranced by the sudden color change. It was like the way Alucard's eyes did the same thing when his energy flared.

"Stay with me tomorrow, Seras. I can place a block on your mind so he can not disturb you. I will not, on my word, harm you in any way...I merely seek to offer you temporary refuge, a quiet place you can think to yourself- perhaps contemplate what you have learnt, neh? You can retire to our chambers for the remainder of the night as well, if you wish." She shook her head to break the trance like effect of his eyes. She brought his words back to herself, having been paying only half a mind to what he was saying.  
"But...Integra..."

"Has already agreed to this." She looked at thim again, startled. "Integra?"

"Yes. I planned to offer you this sanctuary earlier this evening, but the timing didn't feel appropriate before now. Integra has agreed to let you rest in our room, should you go there willingly." He explained. Her suspicions still hung around her, but she accepted anyway with a curt nod. If he was right...she really _did_ need time alone now.

"Okay."

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Ciel was lazily reading in his room- well, it wasn't technically his, since he shared it with Sebastian, but he still liked to think of it that way. A sudden burning feeling began in the pit of his stomach and crept up his throat, leaving in its wake a hot, hollow feeling- he needed to feed. Curse this body's dreadful timing. Speaking of timing, there was a soft scuffing sound outside the door and he felt Sebastian's aura approach the room- along with company. The door opened quietly, and Seras stood on the other side, much to his surprise, with Sebastian following her. She seemed to notice him then, sitting with legs crossed in a old-fashioned red velvet chair at the end of the four-poster bed. She froze at the sight of him, a deer-in-headlights look in her face. Confused and now annoyed, Ciel closed his book and stood- not missing the way she leaned back on her heels as if to get away from him.

"What is she doing here?" He addressed his servant as he smirked oh so smugly behind her. She frowned at him then, seeming to find his behavior offensive. "I have offered her sanctuary here for the day; I do hope you don't mind. After all, we don't sleep- but she does."

"Sanctuary?" He drawled incredulously, brow arching.

"It would appear her Master has been rather unkind to her; I have thus offered her our room to rest in for the day that she might escape him." Ciel threw Sebastian a knowing and simultaneously annoyed look. "Fine. Do whatever you want. I was headed to the Library anyway." He said, walking around Seras- again noticing that she leaned away from him, as if expecting him to attack her. _'Perhaps Sebastain has a point.'_

"I need to feed again; you aught to join me this time. You seem rather in need." He said, his voice so normal that Seras had to double take to put the peices together.

"You aren't going to feed off the men, are you?" She asked incredulously. She shrank as he threw her a venomous look. "Of course not," He said, sounding almost affronted. "I will ask Integra to leave the estate for an evening, and find sustenance elsewhere."

"Good." She said, and immediately regretted her tendency to be sassy with figures like this. Arrogant, pompous people just brought out her defiant side. "Integra would be most angry if you took one of her men. I aught to know." She added the last part without thinking, and quickly added "Of course it was an accident, but...well, sometimes things happen." She could feel herself blushing now, and blushed deeper when he laughed at her. Evil son of a bitch...

"I will bear that in mind." He said as he walked out the still open door behind them- leaving her once more in solitary company with Sebastian. Perfect.

"Um...Not to be rude, but..."

"I understand. Take all the time you need- I may be back here later to pick up a thing or two, but as promised, you shall have the room to yourself for the remainder of the evening." He began backing toward the door, taking its handle. "Good morning, Seras." He said before backing out the door and leaving her completely alone. She looked around the room, finding it no different really than any of the other guest rooms. She glanced around the bed, finding it made neatly- almost as if it hadn't been touched. Then again, if they didn't need sleep, she supposed they wouldn't have much use for the bed...She walked around the space, not really surprised to find that they hadn't brought any personal possessions- if they even had any. She didn't take demons to be the sentimental type. Especially not these ones.

Seras sat on the neatly made bed, pressing into the soft reddish colored comforter. Part of her was really nervous about this- she knew Alucard would be furious with her for doing this, never mind that she didn't really know how much she couuld trust these creatures- but frankly she needed the escape. She wasn't sure how credible Sebastian was, but he didn't seem to be lying...He'd given her a lot to think about, in any case. _'I'll deal with Master once I've made up my mind about him.'_

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Alucard was stuck pacing in his room, mind busy. Seras' mind had been all aflutter earlier- something that usually indicated something troubled her. He trusted she would probably come crying to him about it later, whether he cared about her problems or not. But he was struck by the oddness of her request- Seras usually talked out her issues rather than mulling over them in solitude- that was more his thing; while she had slammed the mental door in his face before, there had seemed something suspicious about it. But, he couldn't eactly ask her about it- he knew her too well; if he bothered her now he'd never hear the end of it, with her accusing him of being insensitive (which he was) and all kinds of other annoying (but usually accurate) terms. He gave her credit for being persistent and being able to hold a grudge, however futile that seemed to him. She could never get away from him, after all, not unless he left her- again- not if he really wanted to follow her. If she wanted to hate him for all eternity, that was her problem- but it made working with her on missions more difficult when they couldn't talk to each other outside of them. It made predicting her movements harder, being as he wasn't up to date on her internal affairs. (He could always force his way into her mind at times like that, he reasoned, but he knew doing so could break a person, no matter how resillient; And he was never one to like playing with broken toys) He paced, back and forth in a steady rythm. He had other things on his mind as well, a particular peice of information gathered from Integra (who gathered it from the little hellspawn that seemed, much to his amusement, to fancy her) taking center stage in his mind.

It would appear mortals had no real way to kill demons- which didn't really surprise Alucard- but there could be things done to prevent them from entering your mind or body, and furthermore there were things one could do to banish them, which is really all they needed right now- for the demons to get out of the way so they could take out the vampires, which seemed to use the demons as a sheild to hide behind. But what were they giving the demons in return? What was the bribe? If he knew that, maybe he could figure out his to-be-opponent's weakness. Could they be offering a bite? He didn't suppose a regal demon would be tempted by something as simple as that, but he could be wrong. Why would the demons defend the Vampires? To what end? What were they guarding?

These questions circled his head like hungry buzzards, picking at his brain for answers. But each answer prompted more questions. He was up well into the day pondering these things, when a very strange sensation sent a not-so-pleasant thrill up his spine. He hadn't felt something akin to apprehension in centuries, but it radiated through him now- and it wasn't coming from him, either. Instead, it was like the feedback of a microphone, taken from an alternative source and pouring into him enough to nearly make him feel dread. Suddenly, he realised that he hadn't felt Seras come back into her chambers yet today- where was she? He reached his aura outward, feeling for her, but could not locate her in the grounds. Had she gotten lost? He doubted it...suddenly he felt the dread tighten as he realised with a start that there were still demons on the grounds- He left his chambers in a flurry of whispy fog through the floors, following the distressed feeling. It was Seras. She was in danger of some kind- he just _knew._ He searched for her on every floor, and finally came upon the demons room- but when he tried to phase through the walls, he was blocked by something. He knew his Childe was in that room- he could hear her. She made an awful sound, akin to a whine. A sudden jolt of her emotion struck him through the bond, and though he did not recognise the feeling, he _did_ recognise the moaning sound she made from the other side of the door.

There was a hot stone in his belly, sending his insides ablaze with unrestricted rage. It grew and grew, consuming more of him slowly as he materialised before the door- only to give the action of breking it down a second thought. If she wanted to play with the demons, who was he to stop her? Some part of him rallied against walking away from that door, but he felt his insides sizzle in a deeply threatening way. They would talk about it, no doubt. No doubt whatsoever.

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Seras had been awoken by the entrance of the demon, Sebastian. True to his word, he'd come back around mid-morning. "I did not mean to wake you, Seras." He said, bowing at the shoulder as he addressed her.

"It's okay. I haven't been very sleepy anyway."

"Too much on your mind?"

"Yeah," She said, igoring the knowing smile on his face.

"...Perhaps, if you wouldn't mind, I might be able to aleiviate your troubles." He suggested calmly. Nothing in his voice souned coy, but she got the impression he'd meant it to be that way anyway.  
"No thanks," she replied, suddenly wary.

"I would not harm you- I could not. I promised the lady of the house I would not harm anyone. I am also bound by my own Master's orders of the same likeness- I could not harm you if I wanted to. The seal would restrict me." Somehow the news relieved her in a way, but she remained wary just the same. "How exactly might you go about it then? Besides, there are many different ways to hurt somebody." He laughed lightly. "That is true." was all he said, coming to the bed beside her. She moved beneath the covers as if to escape him, but he stopped at a respectable distance. "Truly, I only wish to help." there was a sincerity in his tone that struck a chord in Seras, making her realise she was being an awfully big jerk to someone who maybe-just maybe- had honest intentions. She sighed. "Okay...fine. But no funny business." A smile spread over his features then, seeming somehow more genuine.

"I wouldn't dare." He said, and Seras had to look at him when his tone said something she didn't quite know how to explain. Suddenly a gloved hand reached out towards her, and she reeled from the proposed contact- only to remind herself again that maybe giving him a little leeway might be beneficial. His hand touched her shoulder gently- so gently it was like a whisper against her skin. She'd never felt someone touch her so lightly, almost tenderly- it roused a strange feeling that had been slumbering in her since forever ago, it seemed. A childish kind of contentment, like a bae being soothed. It was...nice.

"Turn your back to me, if you will." She felt herself obeying before her mind could register his words- but she seen no reason not to be comliant- for the time. She felt his hands smooth down her upper back with the same tender touch, and could not resist a shudder. She was about to question what he intended to do when his fingers began to knead her shoulders. _'So that's what he meant. I've never had a massage, but...'_ It felt divine, after a moment, and she felt herself relax involuntarily. His hands were deft but gentle, seeming to know her anatomy better than she did as he prodded and pressed into muscles she hadn't even realised were tense. They went on, and she didn't stop him when his hands moved to her lower back.

"I know the request seems...strange, but...might I ask of you a favor?" He said suddenly, his voice suddenly low in her ear. She suddered at the proximity- and the possible implications of that phrase. "What?" She asked quietly. She could not bring herself to be tense as his fingers still deftly worked her muscles into submission, but felt her guard begin to rise. "You recall how I told you vampire blood is like wine to our kind?" She suddenly wasn't sure she liked where this was going. "I can not help but be curious...you don't have to, of course; I imagine it would taste better willingly given, in any event." Something in his voice influenced her actions, though she could not tell what. Maybe it was a sense of guilt for being a jerk to him earlier, maybe it was something else entirely. But she did not get much time to dwell on it- her body acted before her mind had even finished its thought, and she now tilted her head to the side, allowing him access to her neck. Alucard had requested (and unwillingly taken alike) her blood before- why did it feel so strange to have a demon do so now?

 _'You don't know how it will feel. He's not a vampire, there's no guarantee his bite will not be painful.'_ her own voice warned her. She shivered when his breath hit her neck, and flat out shuddered when his lips met her neck. His hands had stopped their work in favor of running up her sides, and she could not deny any more than the blush on her face the fact that his actions stirred _something_ in her body. She usually only felt the touch of a male like this before she fed on them- using her body as a lure proved more effective than anything else she tried, but she supposed that was part of being a vampire; it had been awkward at first, but she got the hang of it over time, eventually feeling confident enough to have lost her virginity in those thirty years of her Master's absence, though she was still ashamed that the man had become her food. A sudden, sharp, startling pain erupted in her shoulder, and before she could react to it, a voice in her mind mockingly told her that, yes, being bitten by a demon certainly _did_ hurt.

She could not stop herself from letting out a whimper of pain as he bit her, a panic rising in her- she hadn't the foggienst if he could kill her this way- but sensed more than saw his seals trying to burn him as he hurt her. He hadn't been lying about that, at least. Suddenly she felt his hand dip across her stomach before straightly diving south, pressing between her legs. The action so startled her and caught her unassuming body- who normally associated being bitten with pleasure more than pain, and thus was very confused by what to feel in that instance- off guard that the action unwillingly sent a jolt of pleasure up her spine, making her moan involuntarily. She realised as he curled his fingers against her that he was making it feel good so that he could still drink from her and not get burnt by the seal, as technically he wasn't really hurting her anymore- at least, not entirely.

 _'Wiley bastard'_

He released her a moment later, and she suddenly felt a tremor of fear creep up on her- but it wasn't from him. Her senses came back around her, and she could sense- oh _could_ she sense Alucard's rage. The whole manor suddenly seemed dark, even at midday, not from the light, but the sheer stifling atmosphere that was Alucard's aura. A sense of dread pooled in her stomach, and she felt her neck where she'd been bitten- had he known about that somehow? She pulled her hand away and was more surprised than she should have been about the amount of blood spilling from the wound.

"Demons take souls in a manner quite like how you feed, so we have the same anticoagulant properties in our bite." He explained. She rose from the bed then, jumping to the other side and rushing to the door- if Alucard had somehow seen that-

"I would not be rushing to him right now- he is liable to kill you, though I am really the one he wants dead." Sebastian said, voice almost disturbingly nonchalant. Smug bastard.

"But- he'll come here if I don't go there-"

"He has already tried- but there is a demon barrier around the room, placed by yours truly." At the look she threw him he added, "I did not want him disturbing you, as I said." She mentally face-palmed before doing it for real. How the hell was she going to explain this?

"I-I can't just stay here and ignore him, or he'll assume- assume-" She couldn't bring herself to say it, but he seemed to understand.

"Then let me accompany you. I am the target of his rage, not you. It wouldn't be fair of you to take the brunt of it because of my request." She contemplated his words.

"Fine- but let me calm him down first."

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 **Ok, Ok, don't shoot! I lied about Alucard losing his sheit here, but I swear its coming- but if I had continued the scene this chapter would have stretched for a mile. Their argument is a chapter by itself. (Oops, did I just spoil?)**

 **ASTERISK:**

 ***Centimeters:** I am trying to convert my american brain to the metric system for future use, so for you fellow americans- 5cm=1"(inch). 12cm=2.5". A few of these amounts to about 6.5". There ya go.

 **Don't forget to REVIEW! I love reading your comments. Really. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright, alright, you've all been waitng for this little conflict- which will not be their last- so I'll rush through the A/N. There's a song here that I felt suited this chapter perfectly, so there. (and wouldn't you know it, it's in the movie Twilight too- the irony) I still really want to know if ya'll want some obscure moment in here- though after this chapter, I can guaruntee I will lose some of you in a sea of confusion and "OMFG". That said-**

 **WARNINGS: Yeah, baby we got ALU x SERAS going on now! WOO! But we also have a whole scene dedicated to OC's...not everybody's cup-o-tea. But still necessary. Also- I had to give Sebastian an identity that wasn't too obvious or typical- while still mentioning the typical. I had to re-write this chapter twice because the first time things got way too nerdy. That said, you can PM me for more info regarding my choices if you like. I swear they are justified and of sound mind. :) I want to put an Angst warning here, but I don't think it counts quite yet.**

 **Also- I OWN NOTHING NOT EXPLICITLY STATED OTHERWISE!**

 **Now, ONWARD!**

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 **CH VII**

 _ **Eyes on Fire**_

 _by Blue Foundation_

 _(cool intro)_

 _I'll seek you out, flay you alive-_

 _One more word and you won't survive._

 _And I'm not scared of your stolen power-_

 _I see right through you any hour._

 _I won't soothe your pain..._

 _I won't ease your strain..._

 _You'll be waiting in vain..._

 _I've got nothing for you to gain..._

 _I'm taking it slow, feeding my flame-_

 _Shuffling the cards of your game._

 _And just in time, in the right place-_

 _Suddenly I will play my ace._

 _I won't soothe your pain..._

 _I won't ease your strain..._

 _You'll be waiting in vain..._

 _I've got nothing for you to gain..._

 _Eyes on fire, your spine is ablaze,_

 _Felling any foe with my gaze._

 _And just in time, in the right place-_

 _Steadily emerging with grace._

 _... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..._

 _Felling any foe with my gaze..._

 _Steadily emerging with grace..._

 _Felling any foe with my gaze..._

 _Steadily emerging with grace..._

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Felix stayed at the menor house for a few days after his master's left. He waited for the demons who had been summoned there previously to arrive, late as usual- he had other places to be, but still felt bad about leaving the manor unattended not knowing when the masters would return. One by one the belated demons arrived. He announced to each one that their masters had gone away for a few days, called away by duties to her Majesty, but explained nothing else, besides that he knew not when they would return. In light of this, the group of seven or so that showed up after two days of waiting elected Felix in charge, as he knew more about the situation that they did- but he'd declined, proposing the demon called Alistar to take his place. Alistar was much more suited to leadership than he, was, in any case; he reminded Felix of Sebastian in a lot of ways, but was simultaneously unlike any demon he'd met before.

Alistar was...well, he wasn't quite _popular,_ so much as he was just simply _noticable._ The demon had a suave kind of air and mostly kept to himself, but that didn't stop eyes from finding him in a crowd, mostly due to his...unique, choice of attire in this day and age. He had long silver hair that he kept tied back in a low tail at his back, sometimes over his shoulder, and wore a off-white bordering on cream suit coat that looked like it belonged in the 18th century, with swirling, faded gold trim around its neck and cuffs. He kept the coat half-open at the top, revealing a tarnished-silver colored blouse that looked like it was made of silk. He wore slacks to match the suit to the shade, and always wore the same pair (so he thought) of neat, but old-fashioned dress shoes. He had amber eyes that usually stayed fairly hidden behind long lashes when in human company, but among his demon kin, he did not hide his scarlet eyes or his pointed ears, nor did he hide his long claws, which, surprisingly, were not black, but instead only a shade or two darker than his hair.

Alistar had accepted the position without much reluctance- but, there weren't many things the demon voiced his opinion about most of the time, unless you asked him a question; one thing about Alistar that made him stand out more than anything was his habit of being _honest._ Often brutally so. He answered most any question you asked him, though sometimes he told only half-truths. If he'd had any qualms about the position, it was likely he'd of said so. Still, Alistar made a good leader, in Felix's opinion, precisely because he really _wasn't_ a very good one. Alistar was practically the embodiment of sloth; he was lazy all day every day, and hedonistic to a "t". He clashed with Sebastian's ever-busy personality strongly, yet he'd never known the two to fight- more than could be said of some of the others over the years. Alistar had been serving Sebastian since before Felix himself had been offered to join them; he knew not how long that might have been, but they seemed to work out their differences fine enough for him to have remained thus far.

Felix waited until nightfall to escape the manor, not wishing to be stopped or seen. He had business to attend to, and nothing was going to get in his way- though frankly he would prefer not to have to fight anyone. He trusted Alistar would ignore his absence even if he sensed it, which was part of why he elected the older demon in the first place. Seeing that the coast was clear as he leapt from the window, he dashed with demon speed into south London, dashing over the rooftops and chimneys until he reached the end of the city, where he turned toward the town of Caterbury, where his business was to take place. He looked back over his shoulder every so often to be sure he wasn't being followed. He came upon an abandoned farmhouse at the end of town, and stopped just shy of the place. It was more like a cottage than a house, but it served its purpose.

He walked into the house, not bothering to announce his presence. He didn't have to as a petit woman with curly hair the color of fire walked up to him with a smile. She wore a casual but somehow still elite looking sun dress, in spite of it being winter, of a sapphire hue with white lace trims. She wore a dark choker around her neck, with a green gem that made her jade eyes stand out. "Felix! You've retunred to us!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands, which were covered by long white gloves better suited to the clime. "Hello, sister." He adressed in return. "I have urgent news for the others." He said simply, watching a shadow pass over her face. "Alright...but I warn you, Aruk is here." She said, leading him around the wall that stood in front of him- the house opened into the dining room, with the family room around the other side of the wall. The interior was dark and dusty and made mostly of wood, save the odd hole here and there from decay as the house dilapedated. They entered the living room of the tiny house, with the woman exclaiming excitedly "Felix has returned with news!" Two pairs of demon eyes looked at Felix then- along with the eyes of four vampires.

"Oh? What have you this time?" Aruk, situated on one of two sofas in the room that were facing each other said, usual arrogance in check. Aruk was a thin demon with a thin face and a chilly stare- accetuated by his ice colored eyes. His hair was strawberry blonde and went to the middle of his back, with his bangs parted at the center, making them frame his long face in a way that made him look like a badger. His hair had subtle flips in it that betrayed it's whispy, thin nature and made his hair look permanently wind-swept. He wore today a white blouse, his usual dark grey-blue suit coat thrown over the back of the couch casually. He sat on the couch facing away from Felix, and so had to turn his head almost owlishly to look at him. Demons could not feel hatred, exactly, but they could feel dislike- and Felix very much disliked this demon- the fact his sister was infatuated with him being a primary incentive.

Accross from Aruk was Izaraya- a truly terrible looking demon with an attitude to match; he had short black hair with darker skin and did nothing whatsoever to hide his blood-colored eyes, longish pointed ears, one of which was notched from a long ago battle, or his frighteningly long black claws. He hid his horns today, but sometimes he didn't even do that, and practically ran around in his true demon form much of the time- at least, Felix had never seen him otherwise. He was at least a hand and a half taller than Sebastian, and had easily three times the visible muscle on him, which he left on intimidating display with a black vest and slacks being his only attire. Izaraya never wore shoes, and always had a scowl on his face when he wasn't grining like a maniac. Which Felix was pretty sure he was.

He didn't give much attention to the vampires in the back of the room- he'd never had much to do with them, only being used as a double agent to make sure Ciel wasn't called into action- which, obviously...

"Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian have been ordered by the Queen of England to join forces with the Hellsing Organisation." He said simply, hearing severa; resounding gasps. He marvelled in the look of apprehension that came over Aruk then. "They have realised they can not defeat us alone. I warned you this might happen."

"And you were meant to prevent it!" Aruk snapped.

"You said to monitor the situation- you said nothing of acting to stop it. I care not for your cause; I have no real reason to assist you beyond what Evangeline requests of me." He galnced at his sister then, seeing her look down at his statement. "Besides, I am in no way strong enough to halt Sebastian."

"None of us are!" Evangeline wailed. For such a petit demon, she certainly had a pentiant for being dramatic. "Oh, What'll we do? We don't have the means to take on that bloody vampire Alucard _and_ Sebastian at the same time!"

"Then we will separate them." Izaraya offered, voice deep as you'd imagine a demon his size to be. "Alucard is not a problem-My barrier kept him out last time- but Eva has a point about Sebastian. He is an Ancient- none of us have the power to being him down, not even me."

"We don't need to bring either of them down- we just need them to stay out of the way." Aruk chimed in. "Sebastian will be more difficult to bind, but we have an Ancient of our own to handle him with." All eyes suddenly locked onto Aruk, some from confusion, others, namely Evangeline's, from shock.

"You didn't- Aruk, tell me you didn't summon him?! That demon is a monster among even our kind; who's to say he doesn't kill us all?" She railed, suddenly furious. He laughed, a cold, decidedly mirthless sound.

"If he chooses to kill us, then so be it- but somehow I think he will be much more focused on our demon adversary than the lowly likes of us- as long as we stay out of his way." Aruk said with confidence. "After all, he's not after us- but Araskia*." Even felix started at the sound of his master's given name- he'd only heard it sparingly, at best. "You recall, of course, that Araskia is brothers, _direct blood_ brothers with Mephisto**, yes?"

"Sure we do, " Izaraya drawled. "But that's all the more reason to be concerned about it. They may have their conflicts dividing them, but they are still siblings- a rare thing among demonkind. The only "siblings" you get among demons are those born at the same time, to the same mother; any other time you call them 'brothers' or 'sisters', it just means the same father sired them. But Araskia and Mephisto- they are true siblings. Just like Felix and Eva here." The two glanced at each other as their names were mentioned. "Who is to say that, like them, there is not some kind of bond between the two?"

"Trust me," Aruk said, still brimming with cocksure confidence. "Any bond they may have had was broken when Mephistopheles betrayed Araskia by stealing the limelight*** from their father- our grandsire." He motioned to himself and Izaraya. "I think it is safe to say that Sebastian will be plenty preoccupied by his _brother_ while we deal with the other two." He said with distaste. "I don't really get those two, but I'm not here for their benefit. If they want to form some forbidden union, that's their problem."

"It's our problem, though, if Mephisto goes berzerk and kills us all!" Evangeline again railed.

"Trust me, darling," Aruk said, making Felix bristle at the adressment. "Mephisto and Araskia are brothers- their powers are not very different. Mephisto may have a penchant for being a trickster****, but he's not like Izaraya-" He motioned to his long-affiliated partner. "He won't attack Sebastian physically. Not until the time is right. They like to dance, these two- they aren't the type to attack without warning." He said. "That's not to say they aren't unpredictable- but as I said, it is likely that Mephisto will be much too preoccupied with Sebastian to bother with us."

"And what of Ciel?" Felix promted. "He may be a lesser demon, but he has control of Sebastian's powers. I am not sure how their contract works, but I do know that Sebastian has trained Ciel quite well. I also know that, for reasons I am not entirely certain of, that Sebastian can not for one reason or the next live without him. At least, that is the assumtion I have made; The two are always together, it seems. They are not pair-bonded, I don't think, but they hunt together, and feed together as if they were. It is strange." Felix mused. "Would it not simply be easier, then, to target Ciel in order to draw Sebastian away?"

"You raise a point- but you have to realise that we do not understand the extent to which he is able to defy the contract seal now that his Master is a demon himself."

"Um..." A vampire from the back of the room murmured. She was the youngest of their group, Felix recalled, and had been a vampire less than a year. She cowered behind another female vampire, a tall blonde woman wearing a outdated dress with ringlet curls that fell over her chest and behind her in pony tails, each dressed with ribbons to match her dress. Felix had talked to her more than any other vampire- she seemed all the world quite interested in demonkind. She had a cool, neutral expression. Her Childe, he assumed, however, seemed quite timid.

"Not to seem rude," The young vampire said, brushing her dark bangs from her face. "But since we don't really...y'know, _know_ any of this stuff...can we go?" Her creator laughed at her Childe's meekness.

"You, Elizabeth," Aruk said, adressing the female vampire. "You said you could handle Alucard, right?"

"I said no such thing." She replied, voice high and clear. "I only said I knew how to get to him. Every creature has a weakness- he is no exception." She replied. She looked to Felix then, a strange expression on her face. " I have to agree with Felix as well. The best way to get Sebastian out of the way is to use Ciel as bait. If you don't mind, I think I can manage that myself."

"Oh? And how do you intend to do that?"

"Simple. He would recognise me. I am, after all, a ghost from his past."

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Seras screamed as she was immediately slammed against the wall by the throat the moment she entered her master's chamber. She expected the behavior, and knew from experience not to fight him- fighting against it only made him squeeze harder. He seethed with fangs beared in a menacing sneer, a deep, animalsitic growl coming up from his chest. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling every muscle in her body tense almost painfully her body screamed at her _run away! Fight! FIGHT!_ But she resisted- fighting him is not what she came here to do. Just the opposite.

" _Seras,_ " He hissed against her ear, his form looming over her in the most threatening way possible. He breathed in her scent, and she involuntarily shuddered. She knew he wouldn't kill her- but there were things worse than death. "Indeed, there are a great many things worse than death-" He replied to her thoughts, forcing his way into them no matter how hard she tried to push him out. "You let that filthy demon touch you, didn't you?" He seethed. She could not answer vocally, being as he was crushing her throat against the wall, so she opeted for a mental conversation. _"Y-yes, but-"_

" But _**Nothing**_ ," He said, his voice so angry it almost physically hurt. "You have insulted me to the worst possible degree imaginable- giving your blood to anyone else is just the same as if you had whored yourself to him, which, if your smell is any indication, you were about to do as well." Now feeling insulted herself, she raised her mental voice at him despite herself.

 _"I would do no such thing! Yes, I gave him my blood, but Master-"_

 _ **"SILENCE,"**_ He roared, voice booming in both the physical room and in her mind. "It is no different. Have you any idea what you have done?! It is the greatest possible insult our kind can receive- that one drinks from our Childe! And worse yet when they _willingly_ let others drink _from_ them!" He roared, the noise hurting her ears. "You disgust me with your insolence! To insult the King, in his own home- and worse, to be offended _by his own blood_!" Alucard raved, his hand loosening around her throat just enough for her to draw a breath with which to talk.

"M-Master- I didn't know-"

"Enough!" He commanded, and she felt something primal in her force her to submit to him, lowering her gaze. His hand roughly grabbed her by the jaw, forcing her to look up at him. She had half a thought to bite him, but quickly dismissed it, knowing it would only enrage him more. "Do you want to be free of me so badly you would fall into the arms of a _demon_ to escape me?" she gasped. "You don't think I wasn't aware of what he was trying to do? I knew when I heard you in that room- he had lured you there with tempting promises and a gentle touch," He ran his hand down her belly as if to accentuate, and she really did try to bite him. "You are a fool, Seras. You were _tricked._ Bewitched." She stopped and thought a moment.

"Then why the bloody hell are you taking it out on me?!" She yelled, becoming suddenly very angry herself. He seemed taken aback as he released her jaw. "He said you were like this- he told me that precisely this would happen, because it happens every damn time!" Her voice rose almost to screech, but he did not stop her, instead taking a half a step back. "You- you're such an a _ngry_ person, but you never let anybody know why!" _'where's this coming from all of a sudden?'_ "It's not my fault you had those horrible things happen to you, and it's not my fucking fault if you don't know how to control yourself, but- but goddamnit, _stop taking it out on me!_ Not unless you're going to tell me _why,_ because I'm sick of trying to guess!" She felt a sudden sense of empowerment as he backed away from her, stepping forward to keep pace. "If you won't tell me- if you keep doing this, _abusing_ me like this for your own sick pleasure, of course I'm going to choose him over you!" She knew she didn't mean half of what she was saying, but she was too angry to care. "I don't care if he tricked me- living in a lie where nobody gets hurt is better than living with you sometimes!" She felt her voice drop to a growl. "You _hurt_ me. In so, so many ways-" She paused a moment, collecting her thoughts.

"I...know he could hurt me, I know he could be so much worse, but for a moment, just a moment, I didn't have to feel like I had to dance around you- I didn't have to worry about what you wanted, what you felt, what you needed, because he left everything up to _me_ to decide!" She stopped suddenly when he began to laugh- a bitter, maniacal kind of laugh.

"You really are naive, _Police girl_ ," He said. "He only made you _think_ it was all up to you- that is what bewitchment is," She balked at this. "He tricked you- into giving him your blood, no doubt." She shook her head, coming down from her anger. "Then _why,_ " She insisted. "Why do you still attack me, knowing that?" He seemed to mull over her question.

"Because you fell into his trap." He stated simply. She looked at him incredulously.

"Are you s _erious?_ "

"Absolutely. You should know better- but then, I have to give my opponent credit where it's due. However, it does not change the fact that he still took from you what is _mine."_ He growled. He grabbed her by the waist suddenly, pulling her flush against his chest as he drawled into her ear. "And I do not like to share." His possesive tone made her skin crawl. "I told you- if I desire to own you, I shall- and I _do._ " She didn't like the shiver that went from her head straight to places she daren't think of right now. He once more breathed her scent.

"You smell like him," he said with clear disgust. "We will have to fix that, then, shant we?" she was given no time to protest before he suddenly grabbed the back of her hair, pulling back forcefully, almost painfully, forcing her to bear her throat to him. He examined where Sebastian bit her, and she wondered for a moment what he was really planning to do to her. Suddenly, she felt his fangs stab deep into her neck, hiting her jugular precisely. It was painful, and she tried wiggling away, but his hands, one on her nape and the other her waist kept her locked against him.

 _ **"Relax, Seras, and it will not hurt."**_ he reminded her. A strange sense came over her- she really had been a fool to believe Sebastian. Alucard did what Alucard did- and she'd long accepted his strangeness. Alucard had been right, she surmised, sinking into the pleasant feeling rushing in her veins; the demon tricked her, planted seeds of doubt in her mind. Suddenly she was very angry with the demon who did this. She heard Alucard's laughter in her mind, seeming to agree with her.

Suddenly his hand moved from her waist to her stomach, his fingers splaying over it- she realised with more than a start that his hand spread completely across her body from fingertip to fingertip. She hadn't really thought about it before, but she realised then just how _big_ Alucard really was- or rather, how small she was by comparison. Her train of thought jumped tracks when his hand fell to her hip, a mad blush coming through. Was he trying to seduce her? Her mind instantly reeled from the idea, but his bite was doing things to her body that she never admitted and they never talked about; even so, he'd never made a suggestive move on her before.

 _"What are you doing, Master?"_

 _ **"He touched you someplace you aught never of let him. His smell still lingers..."**_ She caught his drift with a furious blush, suddenly all too willing to escape him again, her resistence making the fangs that were still in her hurt like hell. _**"Relax. You trust a demon with your body more than your Sire?"**_

 _"That sounds wrong on so many levels, and last I recall he's never broken any of my bones."_ She spat at him, gasping when his bite grew harder and immensely more painful. He laughed at her through the link.

 _ **"I thought I told you already, I'm not that kind of monster."**_ Something in the way he said it soothed her, and she relaxed into him again, jumping when his hand replaced where Sebastian's had been just minutes ago- but she relaxed into his touch, which was gentler than she'd ever felt from him before. He pressed his fingers against her while simultanously drawing her nearer. She could not resist a soft moan as he slid his hand back and forth over her for a moment, feeling the bite affecting her again. He drew his hand back before she could decide if she was really comfortable with this, drawing back his fangs from her as well with a sticking sound that she'd always found fascinatingly gross.

"You know you will have to be punished later," He said after a few moments of quiet. "But for now, I think our demon friend is in need of a good lesson." He said, grinning like the lunatic he was.

"Lesson?" Just then she remembered she wanted to tell him what she found, but he mentally silenced her.

"He will never again insult a king, of that I am sure."

Seras wasn't.

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Integra was reading in the downstairs library when suddenly she felt something- something distinclty _Alucard._ His aura spread over the grounds with furious intent, and she paused her reading. He was very, very angry about something- an event that frankly did not occur often. Not of this magnitude. She reached for her mobile phone, calling the defense office, where there was usually a captain or leiutenant on duty at all times- excepting emergencies.

"Yes, Sir integra?"

"What the bloody hell is going on over there?"

"Um...maam?"

"Alucard's energy is everywhere! Why?" She demanded.

"O-oh, um...well, we don't know." Her brow quirked.

"You don't know?"

"N-no...I mean, we can feel it, but he's not attacking anyone...actually I just received word he left for his chambers...Sir?" There was a pause as she thought. Alucard and Seras had fought before, but not like this- she couldn't imagine little Seras Victoria being able to make Alucard that enraged. The demons, however...

"Where are the demons?"

"Um...hold on a sec...It seems that Sebastian is in his room, and Ciel...well, Ciel is right here actually."

"What is he doing there?" There was muffled conversation.

"Um...H-he wants to talk to you..." Integra huffed in irritation. The phone was handed over, and Ciel's voice sounded on the other end.

"What do you want? What is happening?" Suddenly Alucard's aura dissipated, leaving Integra very confused.

"It would seem my servant did something...I don't know what, but it involves that little charge of his. He's none too happy about it either, in case you hadn't noticed." A million scenarios passed through her head, none of them pleasant- and all of which would be sufficient to piss Alucard off.

"And I suppose you want me to pull the leash on Alucard?"

"Whether you do or not is no concern of mine...I seriously doubt Alucard could really hurt Sebastian. But as a measure of precaution for your house-and your men- it might be a good idea to do that, or at least evacuate, in case you plan on letting them duke it out." She sighed.

"Where are they?"

"Foyer."

"I'll be there."

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True to word, Alucard and Sebastian faced one another in the foyer of the manor, each with their respective counterparts beside them- Alucard with Seras at his side, slightly behind him, and Sebastian with Ciel at his side, looking very annoyed. She could understand.

"Just what is this all about?" She demanded, facing Alucard. He was grinning in a way that seemed just a little more toothy that usual. "This _demon_ has offended me with the worst possible slight one can commit for vampirekind."

"And that would be?" His grin widened.

"He has taken the blood of my Childe." Ciel and Integra both looked to their servants with surprise.

"Ah," Sebastian began, voice perfectly placid depite the danger he aught to have been feeling in that moment. "But she gave it to me willingly. I did not force her hand in any way." Seras scoffed behind Alucard, making all eyes turn to her- she didn't bat a lash. "You only tricked me, bewitched me." At this Ciel looked to his butler incredulously before doing a literal face-palm. "Sebastian, what the hell have you done?" He asked, glaring at the taller demon from behind his hand.

"As I said, she gave it to me of her own will- I expressly gave her the option to decline." All eyes shifted back to Seras, who moved from behind Sebastian as she stood her ground. "But you still manipulated me into saying yes!"

"Is it my fault you are naive enough to be tricked? No." He replied. "You could have said no to it all. But you did not. I can not control the will of others, sad to say. What choices you made are purely your own- whether I had a hand in influencing them or not is irrelevant."

"But the fact remains," Alucard said, dark gleam in his eye. "That you took what was mine- willingly given or not. It is the highest insult for our kind for another to knowingly drink from a vampire's Childe- just as it is humilating for said Childe to whore out her blood."

"Hey!"

"Be quiet. You have insulted me, have insulted the King of Vampires, in his own home, with his own blood- for that, you must pay." Alucard drew Cassul, aiming it in their direction with a truly wicked grin. Sebastian smirked. Integra watched and listened carefully- as long as nothing got out of hand, she seen no reason to intervene. She was about to reason with Alucard, but was abruptly shocked from her thoughts when the fired the heavy-round gun. Looking over at Sebastian, she found him standing there with a very incharacteristically surprised expression. She let her eyes scan him for injuries when a sharp choking sound came from Ciel-

Who'd been shot through the heart.

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 **NOOOO! Why am I so evil? Even I don't know... Anyhow, lets discuss demons.**

 **ASTERISKS:**

 ***Araskia:** _This was a name I came up with by combining greek words I'm not even going to try spelling meaning "Breather of Shadows"_

 ****Mephisto:** _In case ya missed it, the demon Mephistopheles from the Faust Legend. (I recommend...makes BB make lots more sense)_

 *****Stealing the limelight:** K, _In case you didn't know it, Mephisto is litterally the "Devil's advocate"; He is Lucifer's messenger boy. And retreival system. And he's technically an Archdaemon because of his title. (so the theory states)_

 ******Trickster:** _Again, read the Faust Legend. Mephisto's name also can potentially mean "Scatterer of lies" , implying he is a trickster, but it can also mean "Non-light-loving" Which is where I got the inspiration for Araskia from._ ( _Funny that because Lucifer means "Light loving" or "Light seeking")_

 **Okie dokie! See yall next time! Don't forget to REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**K peeoples, (pronounced Pee-op-pels, if you must know) This was a hard chapter to write...I really don't like writing dramatic, angst-inducing events. They drive me nuts. Also, sorry if that last chapter seemed rushed...I am trying to post a chapter per day as per demand. (Good gravy you people are** _ **ON**_ **me about those reviews! Not that I'm complaining) On that note- No, no one will die...Yet. (Mwahahahaha) But these circumstances do impact things.**

 **On that note, I have an idea for a Hellsing only fic that centers around Alucard and Walter. (I really do like Walter; shame he had to DIE, like most side characters I fancy) Yaoi will be incorporated. (But in a very very different kind of light...Episode X haunts me too much to fall back on people's usual explainations for that) Maybe touch on Walter's childhood...I dunno. I want to know if ya'll'd like to see it, since I'm not too attatched to the idea at this point. Give me your thoughts and opinions. :)**

 **Now, shall we get on with this?**

 **WARNINGS: Blood, obviously, Angst, also obviously,- SPOILS for Alucard's past (what we seen of it, which wasn't much) and allusions to Seras's. Spoils/again mentioning Ciel's past (Book of Circus) Possible OOCness.**

 **ONWARD!**

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 **CH VIII**

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Seras's eyes were wide with shock- as were Ciel's. He coughed, spraying blood as he did so. There was a distinctly ugly gurgling noise, followed immediately by a strange kind of hissing sound. Ciel made not a sound himself, but instead fell to his knees, gaze lost to the shock he could feel his body experiencing- strange, as he'd been shot before an never felt like this. He clutched his wound absently- Good God it hurt like hell. What the hell was that bullet made of? He daren't look down at the blood he could feel pool on the ground, darent examine his wound. He had a sense if he did he would panic- a feeling he hadn't experienced since he was a small child on that altar, being burned alive; he hadn't wanted to look then either. The sensation was too much.

"Ciel! _Master_!" Sebastian's voice sounded really far away- why was he on the floor now? He must have collapsed. Oh God, his chest hurt. It hurt and yet it felt numb at the same time- how was that possible? He felt himself involuntarily cough, the action sending ripples of a deep ache through his chest. His wound burned like that, he realised, burned like he was being branded all over again. It was a pain he did not often try to remember, but it came back to him now. He felt something touch his wound, opening eyes he hadn't remembered closing, but seeing little more than blurrs, heard muffled voices across the room- he recognised three; Sebastian, Alucard, and Integra. They were saying things...What were they talking about? Oh, right, he got shot because his servant did something stupid. Go figure.

He opened his eyes again, finding Sebastian leaning over him in a blurry image that slowly came into clarity. He had his hands on Ciel's chest, staunching the surprisingly profuse bleeding. Then again, he had a seven inch hole in his chest, so...

"I warned you, demon-" It was Integra- he could somehow make out her voice in his moment of clarity. "I warned you to mind yourself, and to mind Alucard. I can not help it if you broke his rules."

"Those rounds are made with a mercury based explosive that detonates on impact- I imagine he'll take a few days to recover from that."

"Mercury?" Sebastian's voice warbled again, but Ciel fought to stay conscious. He sounded concerned- something unbecomming of Sebastian.

"Yes. Cassul is one of the only firearms on the grounds that uses such heavy ammunition, but it is extremely effective against even the most stubborn of vampires- why?" Integra spoke. She sounded like she was underwater to Ciel, but he knew that was just him.

 _'Am I going to die?'_ He thought. Clearly there was something different about this weapon, so maybe it c _ould_ kill him.

"...Some demons have no resistance to Mercury. It works like silver on certain ones of our kind. I am genetically immune to it, but Ciel and I come from very different bloodlines; in fact, I am not even sure how he came to be a demon, so I can not say he is from any bloodline." Sebastian's voice began to fade, and Ciel forced himself to stay awake, willing his hand to move with as much energy as he had- he hadn't fed lately, so his strength was shoddy anyway, on top of his now apparently debilitating wound. Sebastian seemed to notice his movement, and he heard a distant booming noise- which he realised belatedly was Alucard's laughter. He felt something tug at him from the inside, making his contracting eye hurt like hell. He realised again late that Sebastain was on the verge of loosing his cool- something that didn't happen very often.

"S...Sebas...tian..." He forced himself to talk, to snap Sebastian out of it. His energy was rising and swirling and _damn_ did his eye hurt. "Sebastian," He croaked. It seemed to work, and Sebastian's energy faded- at least, he thought it did. He wasn't too sure in his half-conscious state. "Master, You'll be alright. There may have been mercury in those rounds, but I don't think there was enough to kill you. But sadly your wounds will take some time to heal." He hadn't the strength to open his eyes. "Feed...Sebastian...Strength..."

"What?" He heard Integra say- but her voice sounded far away again. He realised with a mental start that he was being carried now. "You truly have good timing for these things, Alucard." Sebastian said bitterly. "My master and I were in need of feeding ourselves just before this happened. However, in his state, he can not feed for a while more- a fact that will drastically slow his recovery. I can not act in battle without him beside me, nor can I feed myself. So- it would seem you've won this round." Sebastian rued. It seemed she wasn't satisfied with that response, but he blacked out before he could hear the rest of their talk, too tired to fight it anymore.

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Integra waited for everyone to calm down before she crept through the halls later that night to the door of the demon's room- she felt truly damned for it, but she supposed if she let the little demon die she'd have Sebastian to contend with- as well as Alucard- and frankly she wasn't sure she could handle them both. She heard a quiet "enter" before she even knocked, and walked into their room with a straight posture. She found she didn't have the gusto, though, when she seen Ciel's body prostrate on the bed, shirtless and wrapped tightly in bandages. She kept her voice authoritative, thoughwhen she adressed the demon sitting beside his Master on the bed.

"Will he live?"

"With time. But I am unsure how much of that we have. Ciel told me the vampires are beginning to infect more and more people in london, making more Ghouls- your men are having to be dispatched almost every night to deal with the problem. I feel that our fight will be upon us soon- but I can not fight what I believe I will have to if Ciel does not release my power. Which he can not do in his weakened state." Sebastian explained, eyes never lifting from Ciel. He had a confused look on his face she was more accustomed to seeing on Alucard, as if he didn't understand his own feelings right then. "I am bound to him." He said quietly after a moment.

"I know. He told me you can not feed on your own." He looked up at her then, a smiling grimmace on his face. "That does not surprise me. He seems very fond of you."

"You're telling me." She huffed. She looked at Ciel for a long moment, seeing from her periphery that the butler did the same.

"Is there any way to help him?" She asked after a moment, unsure. They would undoubtedly need the demons for the fight to come, but she felt compelled to offer her assistance for more reasons than that. Damn her human heart. Damn her human emotions. Damn her all to hell for feeling pity for a d _emon._

"Hm...I suppose we can try feeding him blood once he is conscious, but without the presence of a living soul I can not guarantee it will help him much."

"I see." She said, looking down before bringing her gaze back up to them- Sebastian had yet another unusual expression on his face, and she suddenly got the impression she was somehow interrupting something. "How soon do you suppose he will be back on his feet, so to speak?"

"Oh, he'll be able to stand within a day or two- but he will not be strong enough to fight or feed for at least a week, if not more. A long time by demon standards." Sebastian replied. He seemed to be having some kind of internal conflict, so she backed out of the room then, leaving him to sort himself out alone. If there was nothing she could do to help them, then there wasn't anything she could do about it.

 _'Alucard, you and your stupid pride...'_

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Alucard appeared in Sera's room as she prepared for bed- his favorite time to bug her, it seemed. Then again, she did say some pretty unkind things to him while she was angry...and he did say he'd have to punish her...A sudden sense of dread pooled in her belly at his company. He seemed to notice her apprehension, and he laughed at her sardonically.

"I will not punish you physically. No, that would be _abuse._ " He sneered. She immediately cringed, regretting her rant at him before. "You can not take back what you said. You would not have said it if you did not believe it either. No matter how small the part of you that does." She was about to retort, but thought better of it. He was right, as much as she hated to admit it.

"Tell me, Seras- what exactly do you know about me?" The question threw her off guard. "What I know about you? Well, I know you were a Count once...I know you used to be Vlad the Impaler...And I know that you and Walter were pretty close- at least, you knew each other pretty well. A-and, I know you're super strong 'cause Hellsing did some weird stuff to you..." She trailed off, unsure exactly what he was asking. "I know you're mean, but...I don't think you're always that way on purpose." He quirked a brow at this.

"Do explain." He drawled, edges of his mouth turning up in a smirk.

"I-I mean...You aren't exactly the kind of person who is always good with words, is all..." Seeing his brow rise higher as his smirk faded promted her to continue. "W-what I mean to say is that you have a different way of communicating with people, so sometimes it comes off as something maybe it wasn't supposed to be?" She confused herself now, much to his apparent amusement. "I'm not totally sure how to say what I mean, but...well, neither do you." She settled with. She sighed. "What I guess I want to say is that...I'm sorry, for saying those things. You were right about him tricking me, making me think things to push us apart, no doubt, the lying cretin." her brow furrowed almost cutely as she thought about it before relaxing. "But I guess that's my fault."

"Indeed." He replied, and she had to fight not to feel insulted. He laughed at her struggles.

"You said once you wanted to know why I always, and I quote, 'take it out on you'," She cringed at the sneer in his voice. "Are you really sure you want to know why?" She nodded. She was almost positive he was just going to try scaring her, but at the same time...

His booming laughter caught her completely off guard. "Seems you know me well enough," he said finally, moving away from the wall he had appeared from and coming to stand beside her where she sat at the vanity. She wore her sleeping clothes, having already made most her routine preparations. (which meant basically changing clothes and brushing her hair now that she need'nt do anything else...). "Perhaps you are naive, but you are remarkably observant for the kind of person you are."

"And just what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I find you interesting." She had to balk at his words, unsure if they meant good or bad things for her. Again, he laughed at her thoughts. "Frankly speaking, Seras- I don't know."

"Don't know what?" She asked, confused.

"I don't know why I take it out on you," He replied simply, his expression neutral in a casual kind of way. He seemed...relaxed. Which was strange to her for some reason. "As you might say, it's something I do because I don't know how to put to words what I...feel." He said the word strangely, as if it made him uncomfortable. Which, knowing him, it probably did.

"And..." dare she ask? "What...what _do_ you feel?" She asked quietly. His expression seemed thoughtful as she peered up at him. At least he was taking her seriously.

"I don't know that either," He finally replied, gloved fingers smoothing over his jaw as if soothing some absent stubble she knew was only there if it had to be.

"Words are not my forte- action is. Feelings are even less my forte- rather, they are less than a _diminuendo_ to me. I don't _feel_ \- I just act." He explained, eyes having a distant kind of quality that came from honest thought.

"But you do _think,_ Master. A lot." He chuckled almost mirthily at her. "That I do. And I've had a great deal more time to do so than you- even more so after those thirty years." She could only imagine what it was like to destroy a "self"- she called them "ghosts", which seemed to fit better since they were only kind-of there - you had consumed.

"It is a long process- you must willingly relinquish them from your mind, from your body; but not very many vampires can do that, nor would they desire to- after all, the more you consume, the more power they can grant you."

"That's true..." She suddenl remembered the nightmare Alucard had had that night- it felt like forever ago to her- and could not help but wonder if he had been dreaming of fighting one of the "ghosts" he'd consumed- did one even have to fight them?

"Sometimes." He replied. "Believe it or not, some of them do not like to go willingly."

"Hn. Master-"

"You don't want to know about my nightmares, Seras." He said, a note of meloncholy touching his tone.

"But...I don't know, maybe sharing it would help? I assume you've had the nightmare before." She remembered Sebastian saying something that stuck to her now-

 _He suffers a most tortured childhood- though his story is not mine to tell, I can see the way it has affected him; he is angry. Deeply, deeply angry._

"Sometimes talking to people helps, believe it or not."

 _'There's a technique in the police force, whereby you use the suspects desire for recognition to get them to confess. I'm not accusing him of anything, but...maybe if I acknowledged his suffering, he might not feel so bad about it.'_ She made sure to guard her thoughts from him so he wouldn't suspect her.

"Again, I am confident you don't want to know. You would pity me, in any case- and I _hate_ being pitied." He hissed. "It's a useless feeling. You can not change what has happened to me any more than I can change what has happened to you- so what's the point in feeling ill about it?"

"Because...whether you want it to or not, it still haunts you." Seras said bolder than she meant to. "I...I get nightmares, sometimes, about...about my parents." She had to swallow the lump in her throat. "I don't want anyone to change what happened, either- but...talking about it to the psychologist at the orphanage, having people recognise that that happened to me...it kept me grounded. Made me feel like I wasn't...wasn't alone. Not completely." her voice got quieter as she talked. "Even you have to get lonely, Master." She added the last part before regretting it. It was never a good idea to make assumtions about Alucard, even if they were right. There was a long silence before Seras looked up at her master- only to find his gaze lost again, though his face had a decidedly conflicted appearance to it.

"Master?"

"You really want to know what I have nightmares about, Seras?" He said suddenly, a note of malice lying somewhere in his voice as he smiled- toothily. "Fine. But don't say I did not warn you." He pulled back his sleeve suddenly and offered her his wrist. "Bite me."

"But-"

"It will not break our bond- it takes a progressive amount of blood to do that. A little bit here won't do anything. Now bite me." She hesitated. He growled impatiently, stepping closer.

 _ **"Drink from me."**_

She grasped his arm almost delicately, and she suddenly didn't appreciate the shit-eating grin on his face. But, she obeyed, resting her fangs against his skin testingly before letting them sink in- noticing on the way that her Master litterally had thicker skin than most humans. Upon feeling his blood, which had a surprisingly sweet taste, flow down her throat, she felt her mind aussaged by memories, by thoughts, by feelings- and suddenly, she understood too well the nightmare-world he'd lived in. But as she went deeper into his memories, his human memories, her stomach suddenly twisted in disgust, making her immediately release him in favor of retching his blood onto the floor.

"I tried to tell you." was all he said, smug smile on his face. She had to gasp, parlty out of reflex when one vomitted, and partly from the sudden squeezing pain in her chest. She suddenly couldn't blame him for being angry- or losing his faith in God.

"You...They..."

"They _raped_ me. They _tortured_ me. They starved me. They humiliated me, in more ways than I care to share." He said, smiling wickedly, almost ruefully. "I know. How well I know." She was at a loss for words- loss for thoughts as well, apparently. She was trying not to have an anxiety attack, focusing on calming down. He could have just _told her_ they'd done all of that, he didn't have to _show_ her it. She'd watched before-

 _'No, don't even go there, we are NOT going there,'_

"Seras?" Alucard said, but she was too preoccupied with NOT focusing on the remarkably vivid rape scene she'd witnessed...again.

 _'DO NOT GO THERE!'_

"Seras!" Alucard pulled her from her thoughts, and she seen him through a reddish haze. She realised then, that she was crying.

"I-I'm sorry, M-Master...I'll c-collect myself..." Her voice trembled, and she fought back a sob that pushed at her diaphragm with all her might, closing her eyes against the anxiety. She shook visibly.

Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder- and it didn't do anything but rest there, a small solace. The closest to an apology she'd ever probably get from him, too. "Seras." He said her name again. She looked back up at him, swallowing thickly. He had a strange expression. A moment passed, and she stood up in spite of herself, wrapping her arms around his waist. He froze at the contact, but made no move to remove her. She held onto him for his benefit as much as hers, so she figured. She didn't know how to say _'I understand'_ and _'you aren't alone'_ to him without sounding piteous. He was a "man of action" anyway, right? His dark chuckle served to soothe her strangely, and she felt...safe, for lack of a better term. His coat was surprisingly soft against her face, and she could feel his subtle warmth. He wasn't a monster, not here and now. He was...something else.

"I will always be a monster, Seras. No matter if you think of me otherwise- though, really, you shouldn't. You still don't know the half of it."

"I don't care." She murmured against his coat. "What's in the past it in the past. Here and now..." She couldn't finish- she wasn't sure how to speak her mind for once, but he seemed to understand, hand resting almost delicately on the center of her back.

"Master?" She thought of something.

"Yes?"

"Do you think we can dance again soon?" He seemd surprised before he chuckled lightly.

"I think I can arrange that."

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 **There ya go, you ravenous wolves, the closest to an honestly "fluffy" moment between these two as you'll probably get. Don't forget to Review/PM me with your opinion about that other fic- I really wanna know, so do this struggling college kid (aren't we all?) a favor and pitch in your ideas.**

 **No asterisks, I don't think...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again. Sorry for the pause- I've been sick and just haven't found the motivation to write the next chapter. My computer also has been lagging and my writitng program glitching, (hence the sometimes "missing" segments of text that I will eventually go back and fix) so...there's my excuses.**

 **I did begin the other fanfiction centering on Alucard and Walter, if anybody's interested. It's called "whispers" and is in my profile. I will warn you, it is not fluffy kittens and rainbows. It's kind of angsty and dark. But if you are yet undeterred then by all means, go check it out. :)**

 **WARNINGS: Not too much for this one. Lime? (still not totally sure what that means) of the hentai variety.**

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 **CH IX**

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True to Sebastian's prediction, Ciel was awake and able to sit up after just a few hours, but the mercury had taken a harder toll on his body than previously anticipated, and he wound up being unable to stand for longer than a minute or two before needing to rest again. He was anything but pleasant about it too- though that was nothing new to the older demon. Ciel hadn't been sick terribly often as a human, but it still happened, and the child was- well, he was a child. An inherently bratty one at that.

He was not nearly as much of a brat now that he'd gotten a taste of immortality, but he was still grumpy and snappish as he sat in the bed, bandages freshly changed. Sebastian had tried Integra's idea of giving him blood- which was a fight to even get in him cold- and it had helped marginally. It gave him enough strength to move and speak in any case. Sebastian really couldn't blame him for being snappish- wounded animals had that tendency after all. And demons were no exception- actually, they were rather like cats (much to Sebastian's amusement) in the way they dealt with death and pain. As a general rule they suffered their wounds whilst expressing as little of the pain as possible, though in Ciel's case he had no choice but to sit still and wallow in his own. Still, his expression was consistently stoic and to anyone else it may have looked as though he felt fine. But Sebastian had lived with him too long. He was in agony, but he did damn well to hide it. It was an instinct as much as it was a character trait. One that made Sebastian feel strangely proud of his Master.

" Are you feeling any better?" Sebastian asked as he came to check up on his Master. He knew what he'd be told but asked anyway. Ciel had been resting for much of the evening in requested solitude- demons seldom liked company for their suffering, but Ciel had never been the kind to like being seen while he was down anyway. Which is why Sebastian hadn't mentioned Integra's visit the other night. "I've told you, I am _fine_. Leave me be." Ciel growled, a barely noticible hitch in his shoulders appearing as he tried to sit up.

"You should stay lying down. I won't come closer." Sebastian said, keeping a safe distance. Getting too close sometimes had the effect of seriously agitating the small demon. Being injured as he was left him vulnerable- he may not have known he was doing it, but he instinctlively tried to hide as much of his pain from the bigger, older Sebastian as possible by doing "normal" things- e.g. sitting up and even going so far as to try to stand or walk if he felt it necessary, despite knowing fully well he was unable to do so in his present state. Sebastian remained understanding- he imagined he behaved quite similarly in those rare instances he'd been hurt. But then, he'd never really been disturbed by company at those times- it was, after all, in his baser instincts, as it was Ciel's, to hide and heal- or die- in solidarity.

"Leave me be, Sebastian. My wounds are healing slowly, but they are healing." Ciel said, expression tired.

"As you wish, my Lord."

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It was early evening, and Seras was presently teaching a small group of newbies how to disassemble and reassemble their weapons- just because they weren't being fired at conventional opponents or used conventional ammunition didn't mean they were immune from the labourious duty of cleaning them. Most the men they got already had some military experience, so they largely knew how to clean their weapons, but a brush up course was required per Sir Integra's orders.

Ordinarily the idea of not having to train with the demons would be a relief to her- but this time it felt...different. She couldn't exactly say she was sorry Sebastian had paid (in whatever way he had) for his apparent crime of touching her, but she still felt bad that it had been the (assumed) innocent Ciel who had paid as well- with a gaping seven inch hole in his chest. She knew too well what that felt like too- after all, it was a shot from Casull that ultimately lead her to be here in the first place. It seemed so long ago now- but then, it had been some thirty five years since she'd become a vampire, so she supposed it was allowable.

Her master's absence had left her high and dry for those thirty years- but she hadn't learnt nothing from them. She had learned to transform herself into a bat, though she was limited to a single one and couldn't claim that flying was her best subject- not when she had to make all kinds of noise _and_ focus on flapping at the same time. She'd worked at it for a time, and still did sometimes, but it was marked in her book as still needing improvement. She had, in his absence, learnt to partially phase through objects- though it was also not her strongsuit at the time. She could manage it now, after getting some lessons from her master on de-materialisation, though. She'd learned, more or less, how to hunt humans for food when she needed to, using her already alluring body to her upmost advantage in seducing the unsuspecting scum of the streets (she refused to consume the blood of the innocent, save that one hapless man who'd somewhat unintentionally taken her virginity- she hadn't really planned on getting laid, but it happened; she'd got a little too caught up with herself and wound up biting him before she could stop herself- at which point it was either drink him dry in a pleasant stupor or shoot him with a handgun she kept on her when she went out before he could become a Ghoul...she hadn't thought she could handle the shame of creating such a creature, so she'd gone with the former, though she'd cried afterwards). She'd learned in those thirty years that Integra was not always the bold, courageous woman she once thought her to be- and still did- but that she could be broken and fragile and human at times, too. Alucard wasn't the only one to have nightmares, after all.

But then her Master had returned to them after his long absence, and he'd agreed to teach her to refine her phasing technique, and...well, thinking on it, Alucard had been pretty different too, after he came back. He was still roughish and brutally forward, with a silver tongue sharp as any sword, but his demeanor hadn't been the same. It was subtle, but he was...calmer. More collected. Just slightly less crazy- slightly.

"Ok, that's about it for the breifing- you all did great! You all go and get some rest."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Yes, Captian."

"Dismissed," she stretched, watching the men file away as she grabbed her own two weapons- she used Harkkonen and her unnamed pistol to demonstrate with- and headed back to her room with them. On her way, she happened by Sebastian standing in the hallway by the window, attention on something outside of it. She froze, trying to come up with a way to avoid rousing his attention too much. But it would seem she was too late.

"You needn't fear me. I've quite learned my lesson. For now, anyway." She did not like the way he added the last part as if he wasn't sure he could stop himself, but figured it was his fault if Ciel was once more subjected to the end of Casull- though she imagined now that Alucard knew how to kill him that he'd find a way to keep the younger demon from coming back next time.

"You may be silent, but you still possess an aura."

"What?"

"I could sense you coming long before you got here. You aught to learn to hide your energy if you want to best a demon- though most of them are not as aware as I am. I have had a very long time to practice after all." He smirked lightly, the dim moonlight still managing to catch on his pale, pretty face and cast eerie looking shadows along his jaw and brow where his hair obstructed the light. A sudden question popped into her head as she remembered reading somewhere (she did her homework as soon as they'd arrived, but hadn't found much, excepting some conjecture by a single author) that demons had "true forms" that could be concealed by them to immitate humans, making them blend in better. It made sense, but then she had to wonder, watching the shadows fall on his face-

"What do you really look like?" She couldn't stop the question, and frankly wasn't sure she wanted to. It could be useful intel, after all, and she'd gotten him to tell her his age- albeit likely just to lure her further into his trap, the wiley weasel.

"Pardon?"

"Demons have true forms, right? What do you really look like?" He smiled almost sadly for a moment.

"Somehow I don't think you'd be thrilled to know. I can promise you I look nothing like I am now- in fact, I am quite hideous."

"That didn't answer my question." She snapped. She wasn't going to play his games anymore if she could help it.

"Then I am afraid you shall have to go without answer. A demons true form is a bit of a precious thing- it is the one thing that others can truly use to identify us. And for a demon not wanting to be found, unveiling such a secret can be detrimental."

"Why would a demon be hiding?" The question seemed to startle him, as his eyes widened and his form stiffened ever so slightly. It passed quickly, though, and he resumed a calm expression, gaze still locked outside the window- she realised then that he was watching the moon.

"There are many reasons, my dear." Was all he offered. She decided to try stabbing in the dark- if he wouldn't tell her outright, maybe he'd give her a clue.

"Do you have wings?" His expression went wide again, body noticably stiffening. His arm came up to his side after a moment- a guarded gesture. She'd struck a nerve.

"I did once." His reply surprised her.

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly, genuinely curious.

"I can't use mine anymore. They...well, something happened to them."

"Did you get in a fight with someone?" His face finally turned toward her, expression guraded but surprised. His lids then closed in a gesture that made it clear he did not want to discuss this further.

"Something like that." He replied. She didn't want to push it too far lest he get angry, and so left it at that. She let out a 'hm' and resumed her walk to her room, ignoring the way his eyes discretely followed her as she left. She secretly rejoiced at finding an apprent weakness, a sore spot in the demon. But at the same time, she didn't want to give it to Alucard- lord knows what he'd do with it. Nothing good probably.

She packed away her Harkkonen and set her pistol in the drawer of the vanity she'd been allowed to have on account of her good behavior. It was one Integra had recieved from a distant aunt that she didn't use- it wasn't very pretty, either. Its wood was old and yellowish, and the scrollwork had been done badly. It may not have looked great, but it served its purpose.

"Evening, Seras." Her master's voice made her jump, whirling around to find him standing just behind her. His sudden proximity and appearance combined sent her sprawling onto the ground, regaining herself once she realised he had no malicious intentions. That she yet knew of, anyway.

"E-evening Master," She replied sheepishly.

"What ever are you doing on the floor?"

"Oh- you just startled me is all."

"I can see that. Pick yourself up." She looked at him curiously as he said this. Were they going somewhere?

"Are we going someplace, Master?"

"Yes. I want to show you something."

"Okay..." she said sekeptically as she stood. He held out his arm.

"Where are we going?"

"Someplace that you will eventually know, once Hellsing falls." What on earth was he talking about?

"Master?"

"Take my arm. Now, Seras." He said impatiently. She did as intructed, only to feel not seconds later a sensation that felt vaguely similar to phasing, except instead of there being dark walls around her there was a fuzzy white space with splashes of color wizzing by her in disorienting patterns. It was over in a second, but it still managed to make her dizzy.

"What- what was that?" she asked as they landed someplace, holding her spinning head.

"You forget I absorbed Shrodinger's blood. I can be anywhere I choose to be as long as I can imagine myself in that place. I can also transport objects and apparently people with me if I imagine them there at the same time."

"What do you mean, 'apparently'? You mean you weren't sure I'd make it?!"

"Yes."

"Master, you jerk!"

"Look around you, Seras." She did as told, noticing that they stood atop a hill in the late dusk. Before them stood a large castle that looked strangely familiar to her.

"Where are we?" She asked, awed by the dark grey stone, weathered heavily in some places and falling apart in others. This castle was very, very old. "This was once my home." She whipped her head up to look at her master with buggy eyes. Was he serious?

"It still technically belongs to me- and it will always belong to me so long as I remain King." He said almost whistfully. He gazed at the castle, a frown beginning on his features.

"What did you mean, before-"

"When Hellsing falls, new Masters will try to capture me, to keep me contained- but I will not lose the opportunity to regain my long lost freedom. When that happens, Seras, I will need you beside me. To kill one's Childe is supposedly painful, but you know I will strike you down if you stand in my way, as I will anyone else." He spoke frankly, factually. She knew he meant it, and understood his desire for freedom to some extent, but Hellsing is all she knew as a vampire, and frankly they- Integra, her men, even Alucard had become like a surrogate family for her. To lose that-

"It will happen, Seras. Integra is getting old. She does not climb the steps as she once did, and can not stay awake for as long. She has a few decades left, but she will ultimately die. There is nothing you can do to stop it."

"I know." She said sadly.

"When that happens, the seals binding me will break. With no Hellsing blood, I can not be bound."

"But you said-"

"They will find another way, I am sure." He chuckled humorlessly. "But they will fail. However, to make sure they fail, I need you to swear to me your loyalty. Otherwise I can never be free." His tone was bitter, but at the same time quite sad. She felt a pang of sympathy, but was still unsure what he meant.

"I need to know, Seras, that if it is required of you when the time comes, you can strike down your own men to save me." She looked at him, puzzled, to find him glancing down at her from the corner of his eye, gaze more intense than she'd anticipated.

"Save you, Master?" he laughed dryly. It was an almost meloncholy noise, and she felt sad that he'd made it- did he really suffer so much at the only place she could really call home?

"Yes. I can only withstand the confinement for so long. Moreso, my title can only remain on hold for so long before someone comes along to steal it- and if I am bound by Hellsing seals, or any other seals, I can not effectively use my power to defend my right as King. There is no weak vampire that would dare to challange me- I may be the most powerful vampire in the world right now, but that could easily change if my power is restricted. I need consent from my Master to unleash the seals- or else they stay permanently locked." He was explaining this oddly calmly, Seras noted. She nodded in understanding.

"So you could lose the title as the King? But then-"

"It would mean the death of me, Seras." He interjected, voice severe. She gave him a startled and bewildered look.

"If I lose what I have, then what am I?" His voice sounded distant now. "I may not die physically, but I'll be as good as dead. If I've nothing, then what am I? _Who_ am I?" his gaze returned to the castle before them as twilight cast it in deep black shadows. He turned sharply to Seras when she let out a light chuckle.

"You'll be my Master, of course." She replied, shooting him a smile. "You'll always have me, if nothing else." His eyes widened as she said this, a nearly deadpan look on his face. Finally he broke into a smile that seemed uncharacteristically genuine. He lifted his hand, moving to pat Seras's head in his usual gesture of affection. However, his hand lingered on her head for a minute too long, prompting Seras to look up at him once more- only to find a most unusually conflicted and- dare she think it- curious expression. Like he was debating whether or not to do something- to her, likely. Apprehension filled her at the gaze, but she held it with her own confused one.

"You really are naive." Was all he said as his hand suddenly slid behind her head. She felt like the action should have made her uncomfortable, but instead she was curious. He'd never acted like this. It was a side she'd never seen. He brought himself in front of her, and as he leaned down, she suddenly felt that discomfort from earlier overcome her, suddenly very apprehensive. He seemed to notice this, but made no break in his movement, though something in his crimson gaze shifted. She knew she could not stop whatever was about to happen, and closed her eyes in anticipation. It felt like her eyes were closed forever- long enough for her to almost think he'd stopped- before she felt his lips connect with her forehead in a gesture that made her blush furiously, mind suddenly dizzy with confusion. She'd half expected him to kiss her, but not like that.

"Master?" She inquired. She looked up at him to find a softness in his eyes that surprised her.

"Enough talk of the future for now. Let us return home." She was half surprised by his choice of words- the way he'd been talking earlier, she'd gotten the impression Hellsing was little more than a prison to him. _'maybe he meant it as my home?'_ she thought.

She too his arm as they phased back, keeping her thought in mind.

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They returned to Hellsing, winding up back in Seras's room.

"Where exactly were we?" she asked, ignoring the sudden slew of questions she had for him after his little gesture.

"Romania, of course."

"Oh," boy did she feel stupid. She blushed as he sent a gaze to her that said he was trying to get inside her head. She stubbornly refused at first, but figured mental conversation was less embarrassing than real conversation.

 _"Master? Why did you kiss me?"_ he chuckled darkly beside her.

 _ **"Because I wanted to. Why else?"**_ It was true he was impulsive, but she still didn't buy it. He seemed to sense this, and replied, much to her face becoming red as a tomato,

 _ **"Would you rather I have kissed you in another way?"**_ His tone was suggestive, and it made her light up like a christmas tree bulb. But, fact is she was half-expecting him to, so...

 _"Well...I mean, that's what I thought you were going to do. But-"_ She didn't get to finish her though as his hand suddenly touched her face. She had half a mind to reel from the contact, but was stopped short when she felt his lips touch hers in a ghost of a real kiss, testing her. She blushed maroon, but didn't stop him, from surprise as much as curiousity. Kissing her Master had, much to her shame, crossed her mind before, as was apt to happen when you had such a subtly sensual person like Alucard as your Master. She daren't let her other innocent, female curiousities cloud her mind right now lest he hear them. He kept the light touch for several moments, as if asking her to push back, to make it complete. It was a strangely and surprisingly intimate gesture, one that had her asking more questions than she was sure there were answers to. After all, this was Alucard she was thinking about.

She made up her mind, deciding it was just a kiss -right?- and pushed back against him gently, feeling his lips caress hers. Despite his (literally) thick skin, his lips were soft, though there was a firmness behind them that said they belonged to a man. (she was not _even_ going to think about her innocently curious experiment with girls -once- right now!) She felt her body relax a little as they stayed that way, but felt his tense up as if deciding whether to move this along or back away. It was so unlike him to be indecisive, but she could understand. Still, it took a lot more than a kiss to scare her away. A lot.

She pushed harder into the kiss, tilting her head to the side as she did so, parting her lips slowly in an encouraging manner. He took the bait hard, pushing back himself quite forcefully and taking control of the kiss as it deepened, but kept his pace sensually slow. She mentally denied the quiet shock that struck her nethers as he swept his tongue over her lips before plunging his tongue into her mouth without waiting for a reply. She tried pushing it out, but instead found it twining with hers as she contemplated the strange and completely unexpectedly sweet taste if his mouth. She could taste the remnant wine and a vague tinge of blood still on his tongue, and it made her want to keep kissing him for reasons she wasn't really sure of right now. She felt him press against her suddenly, but didn't mind the contact as much as she thought she aught to. She didn't mind him stroking her arms, or her sides, or her back, either. She felt her own hands wander up his chest to lock in his hair, which was shockingly soft, almost more like rabbit fur than hair. It was really thick too, and formed a comforting glove around her hands as she flexed her fingers into his mane. He made a noise that made her jump as she did this, but placed his hands back on her arms to steady her. It was a pleased noise, at least. He pulled her flush against him then, almost seeming to silently dare her to try escaping as his grip on her arms tightened. She felt a thrill run up her spine at the challenge in spite of herself, and suddenly felt a shift between them. Something was happening here that was going to change their relationship- she had officially crossed the imaginary line. There was no going back now.

She felt his hand dip toward her hip, and in a senseless moment lifted her leg as if to hook it around his, promting him to grasp her thigh and pull her harder against his chest. It felt like they'd been kissing for hours, yet she didn't need to breathe. It was another "oh, right, I'm not human" revelations. Sometimes she forgot. Her train of thought was interrupted when they began moving. She stepped back with him, afraid suddenly that if they broke the kiss now, that it would all rush at her too fast and that she'd never know what, _whatever this was_ , was. She kept her lips stuck to his stubbornly, throwing her arms around his neck as he half carried her, feeling a stab of anxiety when she felt her bed hit the back of her legs. Her anxiety increased when he bent her over, encouraging her to lie back on it. A thrill of arousal shot through her involuntarily, and she obliged in spite of herself. Some part of her was screaming at her to stop before things got too far, but another part of her, the part that had had those dubiously innocent female thoughts about him- cause, you know, he was a pretty attractive man if she had to say- told her it was okay to feel curious; besides, it wasn't like they were doing anything really bad, right? She had to mentally snort at herself for that one. She sounded like a sixteen year old scared to get caught by her parents.

She felt a gut-punch of anxiety strike her as he laid his body over hers, making her jump and squirm in apprehension. She was at war with herself- on one hand, she wanted to stop this. On the other, she wanted to test the limits of her comfort. Not admittedly the best idea, but she'd be damned if she regretted any of it later. And besides, he wasn't hurting her- quite the opposite. Her decidedly female side won out for a second as he ran his hands up her sides, ruffling her shirt enough for his pinky fingers to caress her bare skin, and she felt it after the fact that her legs had spread to allow him to rest more completely atop her. She groaned softly into his mouth as he let more of his weight rest atop her, shifting so that their chests were more level. She felt his arm come above her to brace himself as his other hand slid tenatively up her shirt. He only got halfway up before he pulled back, teasing her. She tightened her grip in his hair, and was surprised when he suddenly thrust his hips against hers with a groan of his own. He was getting maybe a little too excited.

She released his hair slowly, sliding her hands down the back of his neck until she reached his shoulders, trying to pull out of their kiss. The action had the opposite effect that she'd wanted though and instead of signaling a retreat he once more ground against her- only this time she felt him. A rush of embarrassment but also arousal struck her at once- knowing wat sex felt like didn't help- and she felt a renewed urgency. They needed to stop before she did something she might regret. _'oh, you mean like sleeping with your Master? Because that totally wouldn't ruin things between you two. Just listen to what it sounds like for goodness sake!'_

She pushed at his shoulders. He didn't budge. She pushed harder. He still didn't budge. She nipped his tongue when it dipped back into her mouth, which at least made him halt the swaying movements she hadn't even realised he'd been making. Echoes of thrusts that left zero doubt in her mind as to where he'd intended on taking it.

"What?" he breathed as he finally pulled away. Despite not needing to breathe, he sounded breathless.

"W-we shouldn't." Was all she could get out right then, stuck in his crimson gaze, which had a shadowy appearance to it that fortold of his apparent...exctitement. Yup. Zero doubt. He smirked back at her, a slightly irritated expression crossing his face fleetingly.

"You didn't seem to mind up 'til now." She blushed furiously, as much from his teasing words as the soft, deeply sensual way he said them.

"I don't want to do something I might regret..." His expression changed in an instant to being affronted.

"I mean...It's not you...I just...I don't want things to change between us too fast. I'm dizzy enough as it is. And it's not from the kiss." She added with a pout. He laughed, the rumbling in his chest reverborating through her body, making her realise that he was still on top of her. He seemed to sense that she wanted him to get off, as he rolled beside her, letting himself lie completely on his side as if tired from their actions. She knew he wasn't, but maybe it was a habit?

"I understand. Change can be hard to adapt to," He said mockingly. She half glared at him, prompting him to chuckle at her. "But you've started something that will not stop until it is completed. You know that."

"Yeah...I felt the shift." She said almost sadly. "But what does that mean for..." She trailed off.

"Hm. It could mean lots of things, depending on how you want to see it. I am just as okay keeping feelings out of this and calling it a one time thing- provided you would let me continue." She felt an unexpected pain in her chest at this, but he continued before she could mull it over. "But I know you won't. You grow attatched to things far too easily. Despite losing what you have." The pain was different this time, but it still stung. "Just promise me one thing." She looked up at him, seeing his face was just as amused as it was serious.

"Don't fall in love with me."

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 **Whew! That was...well, I'm not sure what to call that. Moving along in the relationship! Obviously Sebastian and Alucard's battle is postponed for the time being- but it will come back with a vengeance once Seras and Alucard decide what the hell they're doing...which might very well be each other. :) Don't forget to REVIEW! I love you guy's feedback. Makes me a happy lil' cat. :3**

 **Until next time, Aufweidersehen!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again from the other side...of the Hellsing fandom. (the side that watched Ultimate before the original) I do hope I haven't lost too many of you...Really I never intended this to be more than a few chapters long, yet here I am at chapter 10. *sigh* That's what I get I guess. This chapter was Re-uploaded in light of some inconsistencies.**

 **I need to make a shoutout to AmericanWildDog, who writes the most inspirational reviews- you keep me going! THANK YOU for your support! :) without you this fic would not have gotten off the ground as quickly as it has. So again, THANK YOU for all your support!**

 **Now, I have added once again a poem written by moi specifically about Sebastian, though taking after his more typical assumed form and adding elements of the Faustian Myth to go along with it( I super strongly recommend reading up on that myth cuz it paints Black Butler in a very different light since the series is based around that myth...at least the congruencies are hard to dispute) I have based later parts of the fic on this poem, so do read it. :) on that note, some Vocabulary for those who've never read Edgar Allan Poe (my style is much like his here):**

 **-** **Atomy** **: A skeleton, or severely emaciated figure; specifically refers to the ribcage being visible.**

 **-** **Eilodon** **: An Eilodon is either A) a spectre/Specter/Hallow/ghostly or spiritual being, or B) a person held at very high esteem by the consensus (a noble is a good example). In this case he's technically both.**

 **Moving on:**

 **WARNINGS: In case you hadn't figured it out, this chapter has a lot of Sebastian in it. Why? Because we all know who Alucard is. There's no reason to explain that. He makes it pretty obvious the kind of individual he is. Sebastian? Not so much. This will dive some more into his relationship with Ciel because it is very much essential to the end of this chapter. SO read on my fellow enthusiasts.**

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 **CH X**

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 _ **Mephisto**_

 _by me. :)_

 _Oh woe be he that is never free!_

 _Caged by the atomy of the world,_

 _Bound by his shackles to the torture eminent-_

 _Oh that he might never spread his wings!_

 _To think an Eilodon as he_

 _Could be captured by a simple whimsy_

 _And bound to suffer his own hell,_

 _For at the deathly knell_

 _He was meant to take what he was owed-_

 _Only that he might be spited by the Angels and forced to suffer so!_

 _Oh woe be he that is never free!_

 _Caged by his duties,_

 _Bound by the need to feed!_

 _Oh that he could escape this hellish life,_

 _But never,_

 _For the Angel's spite is fierce,_

 _And now for all eternity a veil of pyrric,_

 _Never to be peirced!_

 _But woe makes little for a difference,_

 _And in this dreadful instance,_

 _New light has been cleared-_

 _For in the wake of the Angel's mistake_

 _He has been released,_

 _But not without the companion of pain,_

 _Which fails to mend his broken wings._

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Ciel lied in bed, looking out the window, watching delicate snowflakes dance their way slowly to the ground. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen snow in London. But it fell now, coating everything in white and making even the moonless night seem bright. He watched the snowflakes spin, focusing his demonic gaze at one particular flake, which was actually made up of hundreds of tiny crystaline flakes bunched together, each with its own pattern. They arranged themselves atop one another with a haphazard kind of beauty. As a human, he'd never really appreciated the cold, or the snow. But now, as a demon, he found he enjoyed the crystal water much more. It was pretty and delicate, but still strong enough to kill with its cold bite. Much like himself right now- bandaged up with half a heartbeat (his heart had healed within minutes of being shot, but the surrounding musculature and bone were taking their dear sweet time) and struggling to do so much as walk down the stairs by himself. He could walk around the room now, if he concentrated and didn't bend down, but was yet unable to do much exercise. The walls of his heart were still too thin, and his wounds apt to opening. Not really a lethal occurance, but an annoying one.

Sebastian stood by the window, also watching the snow fall. Suddenly Ciel had to wonder if Sebastian found the snow to be pretty like he did. He imagined not, but still.

"Do you like the snow?" He voiced for the first time since the older demon hadn come into the room earlier that evening. There was a long but not uncomfortable silence.

"I suppose I don't mind it." He said, shrugging. "What of yourself?"

"I think its...pretty." He admitted quietly. "It reminds me of my human days. I was just as cold and fragile then. Of course I've not grown much warmer as an immortal, but I am not nearly as fragile." Sebastian only hummed in agreement.

"Just what are you watching?" He asked suddenly, seeing Sebastian's head turn down before cocking curiously.

"It would seem that Seras girl likes the snow as well. She's gallavanting through it like a child." Ciel snorted. That didn't surprise him.

"You know, by definition, you are still a child as well. At least compared to myself." Ciel glared at the back of his servant's head. He sighed. "I know. That's why you are so intstrumental to me. As a demon and a child." Ciel couldn't resist a smug smile as Sebastian turned to look at him quizically over his shoulder.

"You know, male demons seldom have anything to do with rearing offspring."

"I know. I didn't say you were a father-figure; even if you were trying to be, you'd be doing a piss poor job."

"It's not something I naturally know how to do."

"You don't naturally know how to behave the way you do either. You immitate."

"True."

"Anyway, what I mean is that although you are not a father figure by any means...you're still a role model." Sebastian's eyes went wide with surprise. Clearly he hadn't been expecting such appraise.

"With all due respect, Master, I don't think I am the best demon to model yourself after."

"It's not like I have anyone else, really. You were the one to teach me how to shape shift- though I admit it is still not my best subject- and how to feed without making a huge mess. You've taught me to manifest my power when I have to. No one else did that."

"M-"

"I know you only did it because you had no choice, but fact remains that you did. You and you alone. So am I really so wrong to look up to the only demon to have ever done something for me?" Sebastian didn't say anything, but came to stand beside Ciel on the bed.

"I suppose not." He finally replied. "But there are other demons who work beneath you, are there not?" To Sebastian's surprise, Ciel laughed coldly.

"They work beneath _you,_ not me." He said, eyes closing, refusing to give anything away. "Your power exceeds theirs, mine does not. They follow you like a legion; they listen to me because you intimidate them." Sebastian smirked at this.

"I suppose you're right. But I don't intimidate you. Not the same way."

"Of course not. I control your power, more or less. And though nothing in the contract prevents you from killing me, you still can't do so- you'd die of starvation." Sebastian's mouth had turned down into a bitter scowl. Clearly he still wasn't very happy about that.

"However, you are still many, many, _many_ times my age. And as such have a lot more strength than I do."

"Yes, that is true." Sebastian posed almost questioningly.

"So...you're still a pretty damn scary demon." Ciel mumbled. Sebastian's laughter didn't surprise him, and after a moment he felt inclined to join him- why the hell not, right? As they subsided, Sebastian regarded him with an amused expression. He hadn't finished his thought, though.

"...and," Ciel continued, "I...respect you. In a vague kind of sense. For your power and your help- even if it wasn't given out willingly." This seemed to stun the older demon into silence for a long moment, the soft _tink_ of the snowfall hitting the glass being the only noise in the room.

"Thank you." He said after a time. Ciel nodded, turning away from the demon, trying likely to hide his embarrassment.

"And Sebastian," he said. "remember the conditions of our contract." Sebastian quirked his brow at this, but said nothing on it. Was his master expecting him to betray him? To lie to him? To abandon him? He had to admit all three had crossed his mind, as they were apt to do, but why would he bring it up?

"Leave me now, Sebastian. I am tired."

"Yes, my Lord."

Sebastian closed the door softly as he exited, thinking about his master's last request. Obviously he wasn't being told something, but he didn't want to put his nose in it- it was probably nothing of much consequence. It wasn't as if he could break the conditions of the contract anyway. He couldn't leave the brat because he'd starve without him (a thought that still vexed the older demon) he couldn't lie to the brat very effectively because even if he did, Ciel was like a living lie detector, and he couldn't very easily betray him because of the above two reasons combined. So why would he need to be reminded of his obligations if there wasn't any way for him to effectively escape them? True, he had ways of dodging them here and there, but to do that required a lot of manipulation, and ultimately wasn't worth the effort most the time.

He decided it wasn't worth dwelling on right now, and headed outside into the snow. He caught Seras's gaze, noticing with no small amount of amusement that she seemed to quite detest him now. It might make her harder to work with, but he'd gotten what he'd wanted out of it- he hadn't been lying about not knowing what vampire blood tasted like. Now that he knew, he could officially dismiss the idea of the demons working for a blood based reward. True, vampire blood was drug-like, and put him in a high, but it had lasted no more than a few minutes- something a bored demon might be tempted to engage in again and again until addiction developed, but not something a demon with purpose would be inclinded to partake in. No, there was some other benefit being exchanged. A demon never worked for free- so then what benefit could they be reaping from this? A union with vampires...they had to have some kind of leverage. But what? What could a vampire have that a demon would want so badly? He mulled over the thoughts as he watched Seras bound through the snow, building a poorly shaped snowman. Alucard stood to the side, fedora accumlating snow and shade glasses in place, likely to deflect the sublte glare of the white substance. However, Sebastian could sense more than see the vampire watching him from the corner of his eye, and more than gladly returned the stare. A small smile began spreading on Alucard's face as he realised what the demon was doing, but he kept it restrained so as not to draw attention to their silent size-up.

Sebastian could not deny the vampire was strong- but he still had nothing on a demon like himself. Sebastian could conjure entire mansions*, summon fire from the pits of hell if he had to, and was still many times older than his vampire opponent. Still, Alucard had a tenacity and immortality that held a certain kind of appeal to the ancient demon. Their fight would prove entertaining, he was sure.

"Oi, are you just going to stand there all damn night or do you want something?" Seras accosted him, apparently unnerved by his patient, still presence- something that was as good as it was bad. He didn't understand a vampire's relationship to their Childe, but he assumed her death would probably affect his to-be opponent. Otherwise he would not defend her so violently. Still, her prey-like behavior would make her a very easy target for demons; though, at the same time, it made her very aware of their presence, which made ambushing her much harder. He supposed it would depend on the demon.

"I was curious if perhaps you would like to train tonight. I'm afraid it would be just myself, as Ciel is still out of comission." He offered with a smile. "Though I assure you I can more than make up for his absence." He caught the glint of Alucard's grin from his periphery but kept his gaze centered on Seras. He smirked when she squirmed uncomfortably. How could you blame him for taking advantage of her, really? She acted like a mouse in the presence of a cat. She wasn't totally wrong, of course, but that's what made toying with her that much more enjoyable.

"Fine. But I'm done playing nice. I want to get an idea of what I'll really be up against. Our battle with these creatures is fast approaching, and I still don't feel like I understand how you fight." Sebastian had to smirk slyly. Perfect.

"Every demon fights differently, with different powers. I can't really use mine without my master here, but I can give you a good idea of what you've been missing." He removed his gloves slowly as they both paced into position, moving a bit farther from the manor. He once more smirked when his actions worked their magic, creating an air of suspense that held his toy mouse on a delicate tendril.

"I will not hold back this time. If you can not deflect my attacks, you will likely die." He let the gravity of his words peirce the quiet air, not missing the shift in Alucard as he watched from the sidelines. He hadn't really thought about it, but he supposed this could be used as retribution for Alucard's actions earlier. Of course he wouldn't kill her- not yet anyway- but she needed to know he was being serious. What better way to make somone fight for their life than if they believe they are going to die?

"Fine by me." She replied, clearly nervous but too prideful and determined to let it stop her. The fool.

"You say that now, Seras." He warned lightly, not bothering to hide a slightly sadistic smile that seemed to set Seras completely on edge- yet she did not loose her nerve. "But we will see if your opinion holds out once I begin. Now, in the interests of fairness, you aught to have the first strike. After all, you are a lady." He smiled wider as she seemed to become enraged. My, she was easy to ruffle. That was alright though- the fiesty ones were more fun anyway.

"Bring it on, you arrogant bastard!" Really her temper was cute. He dodged her punch, aimed for his middle, without a hitch, not even bothering to watch her move. She was really too predictable. "As said, I let you have the first strike- which you missed- and now that makes it my turn." He said, catching her gaze as she tried to gain distance between them- not that it'd of mattered. He moved, and in less time than it took to blink, she was doubling over in pain as he struck the back of her exposed ribs. She didn't make it to the ground though as he struck again like a viper, jabbing clawless fingers into her abdomen, feeling with no small amount of satisfaction as his fingers brushed her internal organs through her skin and flesh. He gave her no time to retch from the blow as again he struck her from behind with a well placed kick to her legs that knocked her backwards with the added momentum of his prior strike. She seemed to find a moment to think as she kicked upwards, using her falling momentum to its advanntage. She aimed the kick for his face, but he reeled too fast. She caught herself with one foot, pulling herself upright and aiming another blow to his face with her fist. He thought about letting her make it, but decided it would give her too much hope. Instead he used his relfexes to catch her fist, noticing that she punched properly, with elbow still bent to avoid it being snapped by a blow from her opponent. He wasn't sure where she learned it, but he commended her for it.

As he caught her fist with one hand, he reached effortlessly for her throat with the other, coming up from below so that she would not be able to bite him. (though in hindsight perhaps he aught to have let her bite him to make her understand his blood was toxic). He watched with mild amusement as her eyes bugged from his grip on her neck, letting the brunt of his strength crush her fist in the other hand. She'd been warned, after all. He felt Alucard's aura rise in response to his fledgling's distress, turning from the sound of Seras's choking to watch the vampire from the corner of his feild of vision. He seethed, and seemed anxious to stop Sebastian from harming her, but he witheld. He was probably curious to see what the demon could do.

Seras clawed at his arm, using a truly punishing abount of force to squeeze it in an effort to break his arm. Too bad demons had bones that were tough as steel. They needed to be- after all, when two demons fought blunt force trauma rather than piercing or stabbing was usually the way to go. There was no real sense in killing another of your kind, biologically, so unless things were dire blows between demons stayed at the bone breaking and skin bruising level. Thus, thick, hard bones were paramount.

"You can crush my arm all you like. While I admit it is a bit painful, it is nowhere near enough to break my bones. Your master- he may possess the strength to fracture or break a bone of mine with a well placed blow, but you are still too small to hurt me." Sebastian stated factually. "You're easy prey for a demon. You act like prey." He said, squeezing just a bit harder with a satisfying gag from the vampire in his clutches. Suddenly she released his arm in favor of trying to claw at his face, but her arms were too short and she flailed, claws landing on his shoulder instead. He didn't wince when her claws dug into his skin, welling rivulets of blood to the surface. She seemed satisfied though as a smirk appeared on her face. Sebastian couldn't help but return it, widening it to a smile as her face paled a bit. His fangs must have been showing.

"If you act like prey, Seras, you will eventually be hunted. A demon is a predator, through and through- we hunt, we kill, we consume. It is what we are built to do, how we are built to think; just because we can not necessarily eat you does not mean we will not hunt you for sport." She seemed to pale even more at this, and he did not miss the jump in Alucard's energy beside them. He was on edge. Good. "We are a bit like cats in that regard; just because you aren't edible doesn't mean we wont play with you for a bit. Whether you die in the process or not is irrelevant. Personally, I don't care if you live or die in this supposed battle. Your Master is whom I wish to fight." He decided being frank was as good a way as any to demonstrate a demon's hostility. That, and he was enjoying this too much. "However, since it would appear he is very protective of you, I suppose that if you were to die it would influence him in some way or the next. On the off chance it should ruin our fight in some way, naturally I would prefer you didn't die, just to be safe." Alucard's aura dimmed for a fraction of a second, calmed by the knowledge that the demon wasn't going to kill his charge. However it flared up again as Sebastian continued. "However, if you do die, I can not be held accountable." He dropped her then, noticing her grip had loosened. She fell unceremoniously on the ground, gasping for air her lungs didn't need. "Well, I think that went rather well, don't you?" He mocked her, smiling in amusement as her temper flared again.

"Seras, that's enough for today." Alucard's voice boomed across the snow covered grounds, its echo muffled by the white obstruction. He seemed quite agitated. Then again, Sebastian could somewhat relate- he hadn't really been thrilled when the vampire King had shot Ciel through the heart with a mercury round. Of course his own feelings were much more muted and much less apparent- still, he'd been thouroughly annoyed.

"I think I will be talking to Integra, demon. Perhaps it would do me well to train with a demon as well." Alucard grinned as he said this, though Sebastian could practically sense his discomfort underneath. Wherever it came from, Sebastian was glad it was there. As far as he was concerned, the scoreboard was even now- Alucard had shot Ciel, and Sebastian had gotten under the vampire's skin. A fair trade, if he were to judge.

"Do do so. I'm itching for a challange." He replied, openly letting his fangs show. He knew it would egg-on the already irate vampire, and it did so beautifully as he grinned wider. Seras had gotten up and limped her way over to her Master, who put his arm around her shoulder, letting her lean on him for support as they turned away. Sebastian grinned silently to himself as they retreated back into the mansion. Indeed, the scoreboard was even.

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"Gah!"

"Hold still Seras."

"It hurts!"

"And this is supposed to make it not hurt, so hold still."

"But you're hurting me!"

"Do you want me to put it on you or not?" Seras pouted as she sat on her bed, being tended by her Master as he rubbed a salve onto her bruises. Normally he wouldn't help her do it, but tonight he was behaving strangely. Then again, he hadn't been acting "normally" since the demons had arrived.

"I can get the ones on my ribs." She offered. He handed her the small bottle without resistance, and she dipped her fingers into the smelly stuff and spread it over her ribs. The salve was, much to her surprise, something Alucard had made for her after their training sessions had begun involving some hand-to-hand. He'd given it to her mockingly in case the pain was ever too much for her (as if she wasn't used to broken bones and slashed off body parts nowadays) , so she never used it, but now she seen the benefits. It worked like menthol to cool her skin and soothe the bruises and broken bones. She looked down at her damaged hand, now bandaged with the salve working it's magic on her broken metacarpals. She hissed as she pressed a finger into her swelling ribs experimentally- definitely broken.

"I can't say I was expecting him to do this kind of damage- though I guess he could have done much worse. Still, I should've expected it- he'd been going way too easy on me. People like that are usually the ones that pack the hardest punch, so to speak." She grumbled. Alucard made no noise, no reaction. Now she was worried.

"Are you okay, Master?" He looked up at her from where his gaze had been resting on her knees. "Of course. I'm merely thinking. He's much faster than I anticipated." She gave him a 'cut the bullshit' look as only Seras could manage. He smirked at her expression.

"He raised a good point about you, Seras. You behave too much like a human. And humans are prey to these creatures." He said, gaze lost in thought again.

"But humans...well, they're prey to vampires too, aren't they?" He let out a small toothy grin before replying. " True. But we were once human ourselves. It's different." He explained. "They...that little brat might of been human once, but his companion has been what he is for his entire life...a predator. A predator of humans." Alucard sounded unusually thoughtful. "I never looked at it that way, but it makes perfect sense to me now. I don't understand him most the time because I've never been what he is in the most basic of senses; I may be a monster, but even I was human once, so...as much as I don't like to admit it, I still think like one." She had to gawk at his admission, curious why he was thinking out loud- something he didn't do very often when with company. "I can't help it. But that demon...He doesn't think like me at all. He thinks with the mind of an animal and the intelligence of a human, at least. Perhaps that's why I can't make sense of his thoughts. They're totally alien to me." His voice took an excited edge as he spoke, promting him to stand and pace the room. "Still," He glanced at her, halting. She gulped at the intensity of his gaze. "We need to fix you."

"Fix me?" She asked nervously.

"Yes. You really do act like prey, come to think on it. You don't think like a predator. You cling to your humanity too much."

"But I've hunted humans," She defended. He rebuffed her with a dark laugh.

"You lure them. That's not hunting, Seras, that's being lazy."

"So..." She was about to give him a tart reply, but it died in her throat. "What do we do?"

"I have to do nothing. You need to find out what it means to be a predatory creature, Seras. Or, as he said, you will become the prey. "

"And how do I do that?"

"Hunt. Live humans. Go out, strech out your primal instincts, let yourself feel what you want to hunt instead of choosing it rationally."

"But- what if the human is innocent-"

"Then there will be someone to mourn them."

"Master!"

"Do not fight me about this." He said it calmly, but with a dangerous look in his eye. "If you don't want to do it my way, fine. But I will test you. I will _hunt_ you until you can prove to me you are no longer prey." She gawked at him as he grinned sadistically.

"And...how do I do that?" She knew it was pointless to ask if he was being serious- of course he was. He grinned wider.

"You will fail to be prey once you stop acting like it." Something crossed her mind then.

"But Master," He looked at her, now annoyed.

"What?"

"...I'm not sure how to say this, but...I'm not sure how being hunted by _you_ will work..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well...I mean, I know you won't kill me..." His eyes suddenly flashed with a challange, and she simply rolled hers. "You can scare me, Master, but I don't see how you can really make me act the same way he does." She wasn't sure she knew what she was saying, but she continued anyway. "I mean...you don't scare me like he does." She looked up at Alucard and felt a cold weight settle in her stomach. He had a...well, it was an expression she'd never seen him have before, but it was frightening.

"Is that so?" He mused,closing his eyes as if thoughtfully. "Then would you rather I sick him on you every night? Will that make you get the point?" She nearly fainted at the idea.

"N-no! I just...I don't know what to do! I don't really know what you mean when you say "predatory"...I mean, I worked in the police, so I've seen human creeps, but the way you say it makes it sound more like an animal, and...I don't want to do it." She admitted quietly. "What if...what if I can't go back? What if..." She looked up to an annoyed Alucard as he scoffed.

"What if', 'what if', is that all you can say? Don't think about the future. What happens happens. Besides, you'll have to get there eventually. I've told you, you won't survive clinging to your humanity. It makes you too weak."

She was about to reply, when suddenly there was a commotion from upstairs. Immediately the two phased into the foyer, where armed guards stood around a...person?

"What is the meaning of this?" Integra walked down the stairs in her nightdress, clearly annoyed at having been awoken. Sebastian arrived at the same time, coming slowly through the soldiers to observe the person they had surrounded. Was it an intruder?

"Stand down for God's sake, men!" It was one of the gate guard who spoke. She couldn't see the person very well, so whoever it was must have been quite small. "There's no reason to panic!"

"You called in an intruder!"

"I called in a boy!" He shouted back. A boy?

"Someone tell me what this is about!" Integra's voice rang authoritavely. The guard looked sheepish for a moment.

"W-well, Sir, we found a boy at the gate." The guard pushed the someone forward, and indeed there was a child that looked no more than eight standing beside him. But there was something off about the child. He just didn't...look right. His hair was jet black and wet from the snow, and his skin was the color of ivory. But his eyes are what bothered her. They were a chestnut color, a rare color that humans didn't get very often...it would have been very pretty were it not for the eerie way he stared. _'maybe he's in shock,'_ She worried, coming closer to observe the boy. As she approached, he turned his head to look at her curiously, and her unbeating heart lept in her chest when she seen both his eyes- only one of which was chestnut colored. The other was a nearly rufous, rusty color that didn't look natural for some reason.

"Hello." He adressed her, seeming to ignore everyone else, who turned their heads to watch the child. He broke from the officer's side to come up to Seras, still seeming to inspect her curiously.

"Hello," She said, bending down. She was cautious. Something about this kid wasn't right, instincts told her. He didn't smell right either. "What's your name?"

"Demitri." He answered simply, cocking his head at her this way and that like a bird. "You're not like the others, are you miss?" She was taken aback by his forwardness.

"W-well if you don't mind me saying you aren't like the other's either." She forced a smile to stay as she said this. He seemed to regard her words carefully, eyes filled with childshish innocence.

"You're right- I'm not like the other kids."

"And why is that?" Integra asked suddenly. She now stood behind the boy, across from Seras. who straightened as a force of habit. He turned around and also cocked his head at her curiously.

"I'm not really sure why I'm so different. Mama wouldn't say."

"And where are your parents?"

"My mama is someplace else right now. She can't watch me for a while. I dunno who my daddy is. Mama wouldn't tell me that either."

"Are you alone then?" He nodded.

"Mama said she had to go away. She's been gone a long time."

"How long?" Seras didn't miss the note of trepidation that graced Intrgra's tone, as if she knew the answer already but didn't want to confirm it.

"I dunno. I don't remember what she looks like anymore, so I guess it's been a long time." Integra's eyes flashed with understanding and sadness for a moment. She knelt to Demitri's level.

"Is someone taking care of you?" He seemed to think on it before nodding slowly.

"Yes. There's a lady like _that_ that's been looking after me, but she went away too." He pointed at Seras then, and she felt her stomach flip. Just what did he mean? Integra seemed anxious too, but she didn't let it show too much on her face- but Seras knew.

"What do you mean, someone like her?" Interga asked. He looked back at Seras then, face the picture of childish innocence and confusion. It made her heart break despite the chills the kid gave her.

"She's not a human, right?" There was a sudden, heartbreaking tension in the room. Integra seemed torn.

"No. She isn't."

"Well, Mama wasn't either, I don't think. The lady watching me is the same as her, I'm sure of it. You got the same eyes and smell." Seras couldn't stop herself from shaking. She had a bad feeling something was gonna happen to this kid if he stuck around here.

"What do you mean when you say your mother wasn't human?" It was Alucard, who had come up soundlessly behind her. The child, Demirti, seemed to regard him for a moment with both apprehension and curiousity.

"I don't know, really. She just said she wasn't human. Said I should stay away from them too."

"Was your mother a vampire, perchance?" There was a certain inflection in his tone and a look on Integra's face that said that his answer would seal his fate.

"I don't think so. The lady taking care of me is, I know that."

"Just what are you, then?"

"I dunno. Nobody's told me, so how can I know? I just know that Mama was...different. Like me." He whirled around suddenly as Sebastian came to stand beside Interga, a nealry morbid expression on his face- something that decidedly did not fit Sebastian.

"Are you a demon?"

The question seemed to catch everyone off guard. The child cocked his head to and fro again.

"I don't think I'm that either."

"But you aren't human." Sebastian questioned.

"...I don't know that either."He admitted quietly, looking down. "I don't know what I am. I just know Mama didn't want nobody to find me. That's all I know." He looked at Sebastian curiously for a moment. "You remind me of Mama." He said suddenly. "She's got skin like yours. And she's tall."

"Is she a demon?" The room seemed to wait on baited breath for his reply.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "She had pretty silver hair...But that's all I can remember about her. I don't know much else besides what I've already told you." Demitri stayed very calm for an eight year old. If he was even that old.

"What do we do with him, Integra sir?" One of the men asked, fidgeting with his rifle. "He's just a kid."

"Yes...For now, set up a room for him. We can ask more questions in the morning." Demitri turned to look at her again.

"You mean I don't have to sleep in the snow?" His question, so innocent, made Seras's heart ache. Integra seemed surprised.

"Did you do that before?"

"The lady who takes care of me says I gotta sleep outside. She was nice, but she didn't like me very much, I don't think." His little brow creased cutely in a pout. "She gave me blankets though. And water." Integra seemed once more conflicted.

"Well, we won't make you do that here if you don't want to. You can always sleep in the basement though if you're more used to the cold. It's where they sleep." She motioned to Seras and Alucard. He looked at them thoughfully.

"Hm...I don't know if I wanna do that." He said, giving Alucard a wary look, to which he promptly grinned.

"Then you can use a guest room. Seras," She stood at attention. "Show him to a room. Set it up for him and then get Cook out of bed to prepare something if he's hungry."

"Actually," Sebastian piped. "I can always prepare food for him. I did work as a butler once, so while I can't say for sure I know what sorts of food humans like to eat, I know how to prepare some." Integra regarded him strangely, as did most the humans in the room. She nodded. "Very well. Permission granted." She turned back to the stairs then, intent on going back to bed.

"For the night I leave him to you lot," Seras knew she meant herself, less likely Alucard and Sebastian. "The rest of you are dismissed." With that all the humans began filing off to either bed or night shift, throwing wary looks at Demitri as they passed.

"Come- Demitri, was it?- Let's go find you a room."

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 **OK that took a sharp turn, huh? Didn't expect that didya? Fufufufu...**

 **Anyway, Don't forget, I gots another Hellsing fic called "whispers" in my profile...if you're interested and don't mind Yaoi, go check it out. :)**

 **Don't forget to REVIEW! So that we can see just what my crazy mind has conjured for y'all...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Let's see where Demitri came from shall we? I know I am probably making this way more complicated than it aught to be, but it will all make sense eventually. There may be a sequel to this fic following up on the scene where Alucard take's Seras to his "home"...as over-used as the plot line is, I'm convinced I can do it differently. Confidence! *silently cries* Anywho-**

 **WARNINGS: Oc's, more crossover characters, and the beginning of the end. (It makes me sad too) Possible OOCness. Possible.**

 **I did something different here- I used a song IN the fic. Because it's called "Lullaby from a secret Garden" for a reason. That said, I don't own it. Sleepsong does. (Well, I'm not rightly sure anyone does, but they're the only artist I know that has a cover of it, so..) It's an irish lullaby that's REALLY REALLY PRETTY. I swear by it. It is also a plot device, so even if you have to read it like poetry, I still suggest reading it. Or listening to it before reading this chapter so you know the melody if that's gonna drive you nuts. (it does with me). If you skip over it, that's okay- you'll still get the gyst later. :)**

 **Moving on-**

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 **CH XI**

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"Can I call you sissy?" Demitri asked quietly as Seras tucked him into a bed in a guest room. He smelled strange, this boy- the smell was familiar and foreign at the same time. It made her want to wrinkle her nose, but she resisted out of politeness. "The Miss who looked after me said I could call her sissy if I wanted to. I usually didn't, except when she was nice to me, but..." He looked down bashfully, making his hair, the same length as Ciel's, fall over his face. "You seem really nice." He suddenly beamed a smile up at her- upon which she noticed with a well concealed jolt of unease through her stomach that he most definitely had fangs. Just what was this child, if he was neither demon or vampire? He certainly wasn't human. He didn' t smell like it at all.

"Um...sure, I don't see why not." She replied with a soft smile of her own, concealing her nerves behind a pitchy laugh. It seemed to work, and he beamed at her even brighter. He really was a cute kid, if one could look past his strange smell and obvious fangs. Just then there was a soft knock at the door. She already knew who it'd be, and huffed in annoyance, even if he'd been told to do it.

"Come in, Sebastian." She called. Sure enough, in stepped the stately demon, bowing in mock politeness. She nearly rolled her eyes.

"Hello, little one. Seras." He greeted. He turned his gaze to Demitri, who looked back with his head cocked. Seras was convinced by this point that it was just an unconscious habit- but then, she did suppose this was all new to him, so...

"Is there anything I can get you, little one?" Demitri looked up thoughfully. After a moment, Seras felt compelled to ask him a question.

"Um...if you don't mind my asking, Demitri, just what _do_ you eat?" He looked down with a blush.

"W-well, the lady taking care of me always fed me what she eats..." He turned crimson as he glanced up at Seras. She could understand why he might not feel comfortable using proper terms, so she let it slide. "So you drink blood?" She asked, more befuddled than ever. He nodded, still refusing to meet her eyes.

"Does this lady have a name?" Sebastian inquired. Again, he nodded.

"I think her name's Elizabeth, but everybody calls her Lizzy. Well, everybody being one person who lives with us. Her name is Rae. At least that's what Lizzy calls her." Seras watched Sebastian's face as Demitri talked, not missing the way his eyes shifted sharply when Demitri said the lady's name. Did he recognize it?

"And this Lizzy- she is a vampire, yes?" once more Demitri nodded.

"I'm sure of it." Seras looked between the two. Clearly there was something Sebastian had picked up on she missed, but she would save her questions for later.

"So..." Seras felt awkward asking, but out of common courtesy she had no real choice. "Do you want some...?" She couldn't bring herself to ask it, but he nodded enthusiastically in response. She sighed and turned to Sebastian.

"There's a refrigerator in the back of the kitchen. There's blood bags in there." Demitri looked at her questionably.

"You can put blood in bags? How does it stay...y'know..." He seemed to be struggling to find the right word, a concentrating frown forming on his face. She laughed despite herself.

"That's why we keep it in a refrigerator. It keeps it cold so it doesn't spoil. Do you know what a refrigerator is?" He looked up at her, shaking his head slowly. "Lizzy doesn't like fancy modern electronic stuff. She never fed me blood cold, either..." He seemed almost suspiscious now. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"I promise cold blood isn't that bad. It's what me and Alucard feed on." Seras looked back to the door then only to find Sebastian had already gone.

"Alucard? Is that the big scary man in red?" Seras stifled a giggle. She did a bad job of it, obviously, since Demitri was looking at her quizically.

"Yes. That would be him." She couldn't help but laugh. This kid might not have been like anything she'd ever seen, but he was still a kid. That thought soothed her for some reason. He crouched low suddenly, lowering his voice as if telling a secret.

"Is he...a bad guy?" He asked, glancing around. She couldn't stop the smile if she'd seen it a hundred miles away.

"Well, he does bad things sometimes, but...no, I don't think he's a bad guy." She reassured. "But he is kind of scary, so watch yourself around him." He beamed another innocent smile at her, and she felt her heart contract. She knew he was going to be treated like one of their kind once Interga found out he drank blood- even if he wasn't a vampire- and she felt sorry for him. Lord knows what they might do to him. She felt a foreign feeling in her heart then, a strong protective emotion she'd never felt before. Was this what drove women to protect babies that weren't theirs? She could imagine it. She'd never really been around little kids except when she was at the orphanage, and she was just a kid herself then, so really she didn't know.

Sebastian came back through the door without knocking this time, blood packet in hand. Demitri seemed to regard the packet suspiciously even across the room. Seras galnced around the room, looking for a glass or something that might make this easier on the kid.

"Here you are, Miss Victoria." Sebastian crossed the room and handed her the blood packet- which was warm.

"I figured it would be more palatable if it was at room temperature, so I left it in a pan of hot water a moment." Seras looked at Sebastian skeptically. He was up to something.

"How...courteous." Seras had to struggle to keep her tone polite. She was really beginning to dislike this demon. His curving smirk did little to abate her irritation either. She turned to Demitri then- and nearly jumped out of her skin when he made a _noise._ There was no way to describe the noise initially- but thinking about it, it sounded something like a mix between a bark and a raspy hiss. It wasn't a noise she'd ever heard any living thing make before. She looked over at Sebastian to find a surprised expression. Again, clearly he knew something she didn't, which irked her. Demitri looked at the blood packet in her hand with a childish kind of excitement that reminded her of a puppy. At the same time, though, it made her uneasy.

"Are you hungry?" She asked with a forced smile. He nodded enthusiastically.

"I haven't eaten since I left." He said. Well that roused a few questions.

"Ah-ah," She said as he reached for the packet, pulling it safely out of his reach. "You can have this once you tell me where you came here from." He pouted, crossing his arms.

"C'mon, you want to eat before it get's cold, don't you?" He frowned up at her with all his kiddie might. He gave in though, and let out a drawn out sigh.

"I don't know where it is exactly, but I had to walk a long way through the snow to get here. So I think it's pretty far away." He said, still frowning. "Can I have it now?"

"Not yet," She said, wagging her finger for emphasis. "Did you come here on purpose or are you lost?" He lost his frown in exchange for a thoughtful look. "Well, I was lost, but then the guard soldier called me over and asked me the same thing. I told him I didn't know where I was, and he said I could come inside." Demitri said, now fidgeting with his fingers. He looked to the blood bag again, childish want filling his eyes as if he were begging for candy.

"Can I have it now?" Seras sighed, biting the tubed end of the bag. "I don't have a cup or anthing to put it in, so you'll have to do with this for now." He nodded excitedly as she handed him the bag, watching with morbid facination as he prompty suckled the end as one might expect a much younger child to. Complete with the mess as he sucked faster than he could swallow and some of the blood spilled from his mouth.

"Don't drink so fast. You'll give yourself a bellyache." She warned. Honestly she wasn't sure he _could_ get a bellyache, but he was making a mess of himself regardless. He pulled away from the bag a moment, giving her an apologetic look. "Sorry sissy," He said, and Seras made a mental note to get herself accustomed to the name. "I'm just really hungry."

"Well, try to drink more slowly. I'll see about getting you some fresh clothes. I think I have an old T-shirt you can use until we get your clothes clean." She looked at his clothes for the first time then; he wore a dark blue tee with a black undershirt and very dirty black pants. She noticed for the first time then that he wore no shoes, and that his feet were absolutley filthy. As was the rest of him.

"You'll need a bath too, when you wake up." She said, watching him squeeze the bag for every last drop he could get out of it. "Do you want more?" She asked, but he shook his head.

"Okay. Wait here while I go get the T-shirt." She turned to leave, but a whimper stopped her.

"I...I don't know if I want you to go." He said, looking down into his lap. "What if the big scary man comes in while you're away?" She smiled at him reassurringly.

"Alucard's got a lot more bark than he does bite, especially with guests. He won't hurt you. I promise." He seemed relieved by this as she crept towards the door, keeping her head poked in as she backed out. "I promise I'll be right back." She closed the door softly, turning with a sigh.

"What was that about me having more bark than bite, _Seras?_ " Alucard stood beside the door, looking down at her with a frown. She'd sensed him there a moment ago, and so wasn't surprised to find him eavesdropping by the door.

"Don't you go in there and scare him. He's a little boy as scared of monsters as any other one." She frowned back at him, making no heed of her sassy tone. "I know you are one, but cut him some slack. God knows what Integra's gonna do with him. He's definitely not human." She kept her voice barely above a breath, knowing Alucard could still hear her in the quiet hall but hoping Demitri couldn't. "I don't know exactly what he is, but he's not that."

"I know. So, he drinks blood?" Alucard said with a classic smirk.

"Yeah. He says that's what he's been fed, and since he doesn't seem to mind drinking it..." She shrugged. Alucard's smirk broadened. "Make's feeding him easy enough then. Now the problem is- what _is_ he? Where did he come from?"

"Actually, he said he had to walk a long ways to get here...I'm not sure how that far that is since he's just a kid, but he said he was lost when he found this place."

"Doubtlessly." She gave him a skeptical look.

"You don't believe him?"

"I didn't say that. I just think he's hiding something from us." Seras looked down almost sadly, thinking about it.

"Yeah, but he's scared. He's convinced you're some kind of boogeyman or something." She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Her Master did not look so amused. She fought down the smile with a cough. "Anyway, he's just a little kid. He doesn't even know what a refrigerator is, or that you could keep blood in bags! He's...well, as much as you don't like hearing it, he's _innocent._ Even if he turns out to be some kind of freak like you, _he_ doesn't know that."

"Innocent until proven guilty." Alucard said. Seras fought the urge to pinch her nose between her fingers. Her Master was notoriously difficult as a person, so she supposed she aught to be used to it by now. He seemed to sense her agitation and only grinned widely.

"Just remember, Seras; We don't know anything about him yet. He may turn out to be what you think he's not. Then again, he may be as you predict. We simply don't know, at this point."

"Since when are you the cautious type?" She teased. He snorted.

"I'm always cautious, Seras. Always."

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Seras brought Demitri the T-shirt, an old cotton shirt that was a dull blue color from repeated bleaching and which had a few holes in it around the seams. It was something she wore sometimes when she went into town, but which she wasn't terribly attatched to. She handed him the shirt, watching as he began to undress in front of her without a second thought. She didn't suppose it was all that weird, since he was just a kid, but she had to go and change that when he finally did remove his two shirts, tossing them to the side. She stared awkwardly at the very obvious scar on his abdomen, stretching from about an inch beside his navel at an upward diagonal across his left side before stopping just before it touched his back. It looked like a gnarly scar, created by a deep wound.

"What happened?" She asked quietly. She didn't realise how her question sounded until after she said it, hanging her head in shame.

"It's ok, sissy." _He_ was reassuring _her_ now. "I don't really remember how I got it; I was really little when it happened. I remember someone big and red, though." She perked at this. Is that why he was scared of Alucard? "He- or maybe she- had something that was big and shiny, and made a lot of noise. I dunno why they were tryin' to hit me with it, but he did. I don't remember it hurting, but I remember seeing my Mama, so..." She felt sorry for him. And somewhat angry. Who would try to murder an innocent child? She thought about it and supposed that whatever he was, his mother was likely hiding him for a reason. But that didn't mean he was something bad, right? I mean, if some psycho was trying to kill her own kid she supposed she'd hide him too.

"Do you know anything about your Mama?" She asked as she sat beside the bed. He pulled in the T-shirt, which fit on him like a bag. He really was a tiny kid, even for an eight year old.

"Well...I remember she had long, silvery - or maybe it was kinda purply? - hair, and that she had something in her hair all the time. She was a nice Mama, and she smiled a lot." He smiled himself at the memory. His smile faltered quickly though as the nostalgia faded. "But I don't really remember that much about her, no. She left a long time ago."

"How long? Do you know?" He shook his head. "Can you guess?" He stilled in thought.

"I dunno...I seen a lot of things happen as time went on, but I wouldn't know the years. Though there's been a lot of winters, so I can only say that it's been a long time." Seras listened intently. Well, that answered if he was actually eight years old.

"Do you know how old you are?" He shook his head.

"I see." Was all she said. Seras sighed, getting up.

"W-where are you going?"

"Aren't you tired? You should get some sleep."

"No. I'm used to being up at night." Seras felt her own face change to a 'no duh' kind of expression, mentally face-palming. Of course, since he lived with a vampire...

"Well...do you want me to stay with you until morning?" She offered. He nodded enthusiastically. She knew Alucard would be pissed, and that Integra would be mad that she missed the nightly rounds, but she couldn't seem to say no to this kid.

"Ok...do you want to talk?" He seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"Can you sing?" Seras balked. He wanted her to s _ing?_

"Um...I don't know how good of a singer I'd be..." She replied with a blush.

"I think you'd have a pretty voice. You already do when you talk, so..." Now it was Demitri's turn to blush as he complimented her.

"Why thank you," She said, admonished. "Um...is there anything in particular you want me to sing?"

"Hm. Do you know any lullabies?" He asked. "I think Mama used to sing to me too... Yeah, I remember her singing once. It sounded really funny though." He laughed a little at his memories, which seemed to be coming back bit by bit.

"Um..." Actually, Seras did know one- but it wasn't exactly her favorite. Filing through her human days of listening to music (she had no time to now) she finally settled on one that hardly seemed appropriate, given what they were, (or what she and the demons could be counted as) but it was a pretty melody and she knew it by heart from her days in the orphanage.

"Okay...I think I know one, but I can't guaruntee I can sing it." She smiled, taking a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself for probable embarrassment.

" _Loo-li, Loo-li, Loo-li-lei-lay,_

 _Loo-li, Loo-li, Loo-li-lei-lay..._

 _Lay down your head, and I'll sing you a lullaby,_

 _Back to the years of Loo-li-lei-lay,_

 _And I'll sing you to sleep,_

 _And I'll sing you tomorrow,_

 _Bless you with love for the road that you go..._

 _May you sail fair to the far feilds of fortune,_

 _With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet;_

 _And may you need never to banish misfortune,_

 _May you find kindness in all that you meet;_

 _May there always be angels to watch over you,_

 _To guide you each step of the way-_

 _To guard you and keep you, safe from all harm,_

 _Loo-li, loo-li-lei-lay..."_

Seras smiled at Demitri's awestruck expression. Apparently she could sing, too. Yet another talent of the great Seras Victoria that she had absolutely no idea she possessed. Kind of like dancing...with her Master...

" _May you bring love and may you bring happiness,_

 _Be loved in return to the end of your days,_

 _Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you,_

 _I'll just sit for a while and sing Loo-li-lei-lay..._

 _May there always be angels to watch over you,_

 _To guide you each step of the way;_

 _To guard you and keep you, safe from all harm,_

 _Loo-li, loo-li-lei-lay,_

 _Loo-li, loo-li-lei-lay..."_

Seras smiled as Demitri seemed to be nodding off. Seems he could sleep at night.

"I'll let you take a nap. I'm gonna go get some food for myself, okay?" She whispered, pulling some covers over the boy as he lay down obediently. He nodded sleepily, and she felt something in her heart warm. Was this what motherhood was supposed to feel like? Again, she didn't quite know, but it was a good feeling regardless. She knew it probably wasn't wise to grow attatched to him so fast, but he was an innocent little boy that obviously hadn't hurt anybody. How could he? He barely knew his own name as far as Seras was concerned. He'd clearly been locked away and kept hidden from the world- and she was sure there was a reason for that, but did that necessarily make it his fault? No, she reasoned. He probably didn't understand what this place was or the infinite number of possible things he could be accused of or sentanced to in his stay here purely because he wasn't human.

That had Seras thinking. What if he'd been a vampire child? Would she still feel this way about him, or was it just because she didn't know what he was? She pondered it over, stopping her track to her chambers, where she knew a blood pack would be waiting for her. What if he was a vampire...She lived to hunt vampire vermin, but she supposed there were other vampires that were innocent, just like people.

 _'I don't think it'd of changed anything.'_

 _ **"On the contrary, Seras."**_ Alucard's sudden voice in her mind startled her, and she heard him laugh from the hallway. Bastard. _**"If he was a vampire, he would be dead now."**_ She quirked a shocked brow. An eerie laughter filled her mind.

 _ **"It is against the law, per my decree and every other king's before me, that children who are transformed into vampires are to be immediately sentanced to death."**_

 _"But Master, why?"_ Suddenly the thought of someone trying to murder Demitri filled her mind, and she felt an indignation she didn't know she could feel claw its way to the surface.

 _ **"Children make poor vampires, Seras. They are immature, unpredictable, and tend to throw tantrums that can ruin entire villages. They don't think before they act- they are all primal impulse. As such, it is better for everyone to put them down. Or rather, to put them out of their misery. Such a life is confusing for an adult- can you imagine going through what you did through the eyes of a child?"**_ Seras though about it and decided that it maybe was for the better. She wouldn't say she regretted becoming a vampire- it did save her life after all- but it wasn't an experience she would wish upon an innocent child like Demitri.

 _ **"Already you've grown attatched to the boy? You impress me with your naivety, Seras."**_ Alucard said sardonically.

 _"With all due respect Master- shut up."_ She growled as his booming laughter filled both her head and the hallway as she went down the stairs.

 _ **"You're being very protective of him, Seras. Watch yourself- or you'll get hurt."**_ This made her stop, hand on her door handle. She could sense her Master on the other side of her door, and was suddenly annoyed. Didn't he have his own room?

She opened her door, refusing to look at him directly where he stood obstrutively in the middle of the floor. He had a wild grin on his face, her blood packet in his hand and the ice bucket empty on the table behind him.

"Take it if you want. I'm not all that hungry anyway." Suddenly he threw it at her, forcing her to face him with an obvious question on her face as she caught it.

"I would suggest drinking while you can- this will be your last packet." What?

"Um, Master?"

"You won't be getting any more packets until you've gotten in touch with your predatory instincts." She gawked.

"Are you serious?" She was mad now. "On who's order?"

"On mine. I'll be taking your blood packs every night. You want to feed? You'll have to go into town, or..." His grin was suggestive. He wore his glasses and fedora, so she couldn't read his expressions well.

"I wouldn't!" She practically yelled, flabbergasted. He was starving her? Before a battle? Was he insane?

"Thourougly, I assure you." He replied. Seras growled. "And you would if you got deperate. Though I'm sure you won't let that happen."

"But Master, we'll have to fight-"

"Then I suggest you figure it out quickly." She felt her fists ball. She let out a hissing breath through her teeth, calming. Fighting him was useless. Especially if he was going to be an ass about it.

"Fine." She ripped into the packet, sipping at it with a pout. She finished it before she knew it, and felt sad that it was her last as she threw it in the wastebasket. She felt him come up behind her, and held her head high, intent on ignoring him. She was too mad to care.

Well, until he grapped her by the waist.

He spun her around to face him, holding her wrists on either side of her to keep her from pushing him away. She refused to meet his gaze, still pouting.

"Are you really going to be childish about this, Seras? One child on the grounds is bad enough."

"I don't know why you can't help me with this. You're doing the 'make me learn through experience' thing again, which I don't get at all!"

"But it's effective, no?"

"Well...maybe that's true, but-"

"Enough. You'll either learn to hunt properly or starve. And I _will_ be watching." He grinned mischeiviously at her, and she wanted for an instant to slap him- not that she could given as she was being held captive. Suddenly she thought of something truly evil.

"But won't it weaken me, if I don't succeed?" He arched a brow, grin faltering.

"What if I die out there- what if, God forbid it, that _...Creep_ , Sebastian comes after me again?" Clearly that was the wrong thing to say. That familiar tint of crazy colored his toothy grin, and she reeled reflexively.

"Then you'll have something to practice not-running from."

"But Master Alucard-"

"I said _enough_." His tone was without question as his grip tightened on her wrists painfully. He seemed to stare her down, as if daring her to defy him more. She submitted, turning her face to the side as she leaned away from him, keeping her eyes downcast. He suddenly pulled her closer with a jerk, and she bared her throat to him in a reflex she didn't even know she had. It was apparent that there were many things she yet did not know about herself. Surprising, considering she'd spent thirty years more or less alone trying to figure out that very thing.

"You sing very well, by the way." He breathed against her throat, making her jump. His grip loosened somewhat, but he did not release her. "Though I can't say I approve of the choice of music." She felt his teeth caress her neck, and relaxed without thinking about it. It was a habit, after being bitten by him before, to relax before he did so. Made it so it didn't hurt.

"Taking your blood now would ruin the dinner you just consumed. You'd be that much hungrier." He warned. He did raise a good point. She raised her head to look at him, not really knowing what she wanted right then, but feeling a tension in her body and out that told her she wanted _Something._

"My, you can be a very demanding little fledgling at times. I'm not going to be your Master forever, you know."

"To me, I think you'll always be Master. I wouldn't know what else to call you." She laughed lightly, looking away from him again. He released one wrist in favor of bringing her gaze back up to his own glass-covered one. She supposed she aught to have seen it coming when he leaned in to kiss her lightly on the lips, but he still managed to surprise her with it somehow. She felt her eyes close as she leaned into him, letting him know she reciprocated it- whatever _it_ was.

"I'll hold you to that." He said as he pulled back, finally releasing her. She realised with a start that she hadn't really wanted that to end.

 _'Man, maybe I aught to feed on live humans...'_

"Hm. But you still act like prey, Seras. You can use seduction as your hunting tactic if that's what you truly prefer, but bear in mind that you won't just be hunting horny scum anymore. A man of his right mind will be much harder to seduce." Alucard reminded her. Way to ruin a moment.

"Okay...but..." She was honestly unsure of herself. Could she really bring herself to hunt an innocent human? Did she have to?

"I'll leave that up to you to decide. If you can get away with becoming a predator and feeding on scum at the same time, more power to you. But if not, then you may have no choice. Like I said, stop relying on rational judgement to choose your prey. Let your body tell you what it wants. If it should want the blood of an innocent, then you will just have to live with that." Way to make her feel better.

"Seras." She looked at him as his tone commanded. "You'll have to jump the hurdle some time or the next. I will not make exceptions for you forever." Wait, did that mean he already did?

"I understand." She said. Knowing there was nothing more to say, he phased out of the room, leaving Seras to her thoughts. She sighed sadly. Being a vampire was tough sometimes.

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Outside the manor, resting upon the spiky black fence to the rear of the estate was a figure dressed all in red, smug, entirely too toothy grin plastered onto his face. He'd been assigned to watch the place for a time, but after seeing that brat- Demitri was it?- arrive at the gates, he knew he had no choice but to stay a while. He'd been instructed yet not to act, but he was practically itching in anticipation. He'd gone after the kid once, and likely given him a nasty scar to remember him by- a thought that quietly thrilled him- but that brat's demon mother had gotten in his way and foiled his attempts to reap the kid's soul.

But most interestingly, there were other familiar faces here too. It would seem the Queen had quite the problem on her hands, to have called the family cat and dog to call a truce. If they'd even been aware of the other's existance.

"Oh, Sebby, I promise we will meet again soon. But I'm afraid our meeting won't go quite like the other ones- after all, I have two jobs to do. Shame, really, but it seems your time may be running a bit shorter than you know. Pity. We could have done so well together."

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 **That was interesting, right? Sad to say this is the beginning of the end...though that also means that Sebastian and Alucard's fight is drawing near, so I'm not sure how sad it really is. Anyone figure out what Demitri is yet? No? I gave you a clue. A few, actually...and in case you're wondering, Alistar is kind of an important character. Just sayin'. *whistles casually* So, that said, REVIEW! And we can figure out where Grell stands. :) Mwahahahahaha.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello my lovelies. I bring to you a chapter very dynamic in its interests. I will be going back and rewriting a lot of the fic because after rewatching Black Butler for the first time in five years, I realised I put poor Sebastian in a terribly OOC light. Apologies for that. (I am also posting this on the BB side) but after five years be grateful I even remember what they look like.**

 **That said,**

 **WARNINGS: T. Murder. Violence. Death. Much death. Of multiple kinds, including suicide. Ciel and Sebastian's relationship in slightly more detail. Refrences but not necessarily spoilers to CH. 67-69 of Black Butler manga (I think) because it's not in the anime. A song from Black Butler in Latin because its beautiful, tragic, and oh so fitting of a few characters on either side here. For those unaware, the "Lamb of God" is another name for Jesus or a Jesus-like figure...(ahem, you analytical readers can figure that one out) Hurray for plot devices!**

 **ONWARD TO THE NEAR END!**

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 **CH XII**

 _ **Si Deus Me Relinquit (If God has forsaken me)**_

 _By ?, still owned by Yana Toboso._

 _ **Si Deus me relinquit,**_ _(If God has forsaken me,)_

 _ **Ego Deum relinquo;**_ _(Then I shall forsake God, too;)_

 _ **Solus oppressus**_ _(Only the oppressed)_

 _ **Nigram clavem habere potest-**_ _(May posses a black key-)_

 _ **Omnias ianuas praecludo sic,**_ _(I close all doors, thus,)_

 _ **Omnias precationes obsigno-**_ _(I seal away all prayers-)_

 _ **Sed,**_ _(However,)_

 _ **Qui me defendet?**_ _(Who will protect me?)_

 _ **Ab me...terribilissimo:**_ _(From the most terrible:)_

 _ **Ipse.**_ _(Myself.)_

 _ **(Agnus Dei,**_ _(Lamb of God,)_

 _ **Qui dollis peccata mundi...**_ _(You who take away the sins of the world...)_ _ **)**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **Omnias ianuas praecludo sic,**_ _(I close all doors, thus,)_

 _ **Omnias precationes obsigno-**_ _(I seal away all prayers-)_

 _ **Sed,**_ _(However,)_

 _ **Qui me defendet?**_ _(Who will protect me?)_

 _ **Ab me...terribilissimo:**_ _(From the most terrible:)_

 _ **Ipse.**_ _(Myself.)_

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Seras Victoria was having a hard time right at the moment.

Her Master had forbidden her from taking blood packets, and furthermore had now banished her to the town on Integra's order for the next twenty-four hours (Integra hadn't been at all happy about Alucard's decision, but after some explaining had decided to apparently aspire against her with the bastard). And as if struggling with trying to figure out exactly how the hell she was supposed to do this wasn't bad enough, it seemed misery loves company; she was not the only creature out to feed tonight.

Ciel had regained enough strength within the twelve hours it'd been since her departure to have come into town himself, it seemed, intent probably on the same mission as she. She seen him in an alley, slinking through the shadows, and decided against her better judgement to follow him. She was honsestly just curious, but at the same time, maybe watching him hunt would teach her something.

"You know, I don't mind an audience, but you might want to refrain from watching my Master feed. The sight is far more horrific that I suppose you would be comfortable with." She whirled, hackles raising as she reflexively threw a fist at her would-be-assailant. What the hell was this guy's problem? Why could he seem to not leave her be?

"Damnit!" She cursed loudly as he caught her fist effortlessly. She'd once more followed Ciel into an alleyway, but he'd vanished as soon as she'd rounded the corner. Where had he gone?

"Now, mind telling me why you are following my Master? I know you don't trust us, but surely we can be left to feed in peace?"

"Keh." She jerked her fist from his hand without much resistance. "I..." She knew lying to him was probably just as effective as it was to lie to Alucard, but refused to admit that she was hoping to pick up on tips from the demon, since clearly _seduction_ wasn't enough to please her own damn Master. The jerk.

"I was following him out of curiousity. I don't really know how you guys hunt, and I guess it would be useful knowledge if I'm supposed to be _hunted_ by the damned things." Damned things being demons.

"Damned indeed." He murmured with a smirk. "And I've already told you how to avoid that. Simply don't act like a toy, and the cat will not play with you." She felt her hands clench involuntarily as he smirked wider. The creepy, arrogant, smug ass bastard...Then again, she supposed he _was_ from hell.

"And how exactly do I go about that?" She clamped her hand over her mouth the moment she said it, not intending on blurting out her real reasons for following them. Curse her and her big mouth...

Sebastian only smiled knowlingly. Smug cretin had seen her helplessness coming. "That's easy, if you really want to know." She had to blink. He was seriously going to help her? She eyed him skeptically.

"I wish you no ill will. As said, I would just as soon prefer you didn't die on account of the fact your Master is so protective of you. I have no way of predicting his reaction to your death, and I really don't want to spoil our fight over something as trivial as greif." She had to balk at his words. Truly, he was a demon, in every possible sense of the word. That thought had her brain tripping over itself for some reason- no, maybe it's because of what he said; In any case, he managed to befuddle her again. A dangerous frame of mind to possess around him, she'd learned.

"If you want to stop acting like prey, you have to think like a predator. Think of yourself like a lion, and the humans merely lambs. Their lives, their names, their families- none of that matters. All that matters is that they are prey and that you are hungry. Focus on your hunger and think of nothing else." He lowered his voice to a sultry wisper, leaning towards her ear. She felt inclined to reel from him, but remained strong in the face of her Master's own advice- _don't run, don't cower, and fight. Fight every chance you get._ "And if they turn out to be shepards themselves? Not all humans are so easy to fool. They can see the wolves in sheeps clothing as they walk around- I've seen them. They just seem to _know_ , for some reason or another, that we aren't human." Indeed, Seras had run into one of these humans whilst seducing another. She'd been caught in the act, and despite not having done anything Vampiric at that point, the human who interrupted them just seemed to know what she was- thus, she found out the hard way that holy water, quite unfortunately, hurts like...well, like hell, not to make a contradiction out of it. Then again, she made the mistake Integra had told her not to that day too- _never feed in places where you're likely to be discovered. Humans understandably don't tend to handle the sight of one of their own being drained of blood very well. They can get violent in a hurry- while normal bullets won't kill you, they can still injure you badly enough for one of them to come up with a way to do so. It only takes so many tries before they hit your heart with something that can kill you- so hopefully you're wise enough to leave before then._ Her unspoken decree- don't feed where you'll be found. And she had to go and break it not a day later; but at least she'd learnt her lesson.

"Interesting idea. I too have met a few humans who guessed at my identity as a demon. But their opinion is irrelevant. Even the shepard can go down with his flock if he is reckless." She quirked her brow, still not beleiving that she was seriously taking advice from the likes of him- but if he really was as old as he said he was, then perhaps his wisdom was not as falsified as she might initially be lead to believe.

"In other words, make them be reckless." He continued when she remained silent. "Lure them. Tempt them to make a mistake, to trip themselves up- manipulation is your friend."

"No- manipulation might be your forte, but it isn't mine." She snapped back.

"But is seduction not a form of deciet?"

"Deciet and manipulation are not the same thing."

"But aren't they? You can not have one without the other." She thought about it a moment before shaking her head violently. She wasn't going to fall under his spell again. Never again.

"Look, I'll figure this out for myself one way or another." She turned away from him swiftly, ignoring his gaze burning a hole into the middle of her back. She sighed before doing something she really didn't want to, all things considered.

"Thank you. For the help." She murmured. Smirking, she added over her shoulder, "But I still don't trust you."

"I wouldn't expect you to. I'm far from a trustworthy person, after all." He admitted before she felt his presence dissapear entirely. She wondered as she walked on whether demons could disapparate like Alucard could. She thought it possible.

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At Hellsing manor, a long shadow crept onto the grounds, unnoticed. He slinked along, keeping his head close to the ground. He was close to the doors now- all he had to do was slip inside and he'd be on his way. In the dark of midnight, all the human soldiers would be asleep- save the night guard, but he could avoid them easily enough. No, it was the resident vampires he was worried about. He'd collaborated with that damned red reaper to watch the place for him, and to inform him if and when his Masters had left the place. Seemed tonight was that night.

Originally the plan was to attack Hellsing during the day, when Alucard and his Childe would be slowed, but his Masters were not restricted to the night, even if they naturally preferred it. However, it wasn't just the fact that his Masters hadn't left until tonight that interfered with that plan. No, that stupid half breed child had to go missing from lady Elizabeth's care, the ditzy vampire, and naturally he'd turned up in the heart of enemy territory. Of course, he was too ignorant to know that, the dolt, and now Felix was stuck once more doing reconnaisance work as well as attempting to retirieve the child, while supposedly going unnoticed. Not a likely thing to happen, with Alucard's aura stretched all over the place. In fact, he was certain the supposed "vampire king" already knew he was here- he didn't want to think about why he hadn't acted yet. It was a dance between them right now, through the shadows, through the silence- Felix knew Alucard was coming, and Alucard was awaiting his chance. The thought sent a shiver up Felix's spine, and he seen his opportunity to slip in the door while a night patrolman exited. He was inside the manor.

Felix slithered his way up the stairs, down the hall to where he knew the half breed would be. He could sense the creatures unnatural aura from outside the manor.

"And what do we have here? It would seem Hellsing has aquired a snake problem." Felix had to mentally sigh- he'd been caught already? What was the fun in that? He looked up from his otherwise serpentine form on the floor to see an image just as he'd expected by the description he'd been given. A tall man wearing a red coat, flop-style fedora and glasses that concealed his eyes- a really shoddy thing considering- and a long, heavy-looking silver gun pointed directly at him. He sighed externally this time, though it sounded more like a hiss, willing himself to transform in a swirling mass of greenish flame, taking human form.

"Between you and I, I'd rather not wake anyone. I'm only here for the child." He said calmly.

"You want that creature-child?" Alucard seemed surprised, an inquisitive frown curling his mouth.

"He's a half-breed if you must know, and yes. I am here for him tonight and nothing else."

"Why? Are you the enemy?"

"I am neither enemy nor ally in this matter. I still serve my Masters as I have for eighty years; the aquisition of new ones does not change that." Alucard then grinned wickedly.

"So you're a double crosser? Seems like something your kind might be apt to."

"You presume I have betrayed my Masters. I have not." Felix said, closing his eyes. "I am looking out for both my interests and theirs simultaneously. If I wanted to betray them, I would have recinded my ties to them. Being as I have not, I still have obligations to them. Cheif among them preserving Sebastian's integrity where he is unable to." That seemed to garner the vampires full attention, and he slowly lowered his gun. He'd said too much.

"Please, allow me to take the child and I will leave in peace. I do not wish to fight." Felix offered up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Well, unfortunately, I do." Alucard grinned maniacally then, raising his gun once more to aim directly at Felix's face. That would hurt if he got hit. "Now, you seem to have answers to my questions, so if you really don't want to fight, you'll have to talk instead. Of course, if you prefer, I can always make you." His fangs glinted in the night dangerously. Oh the cocksure fool.

"That would not be wise. I am unlike my Masters in power, but I make up for it with aim." He warned cryptically.

"Let us see who is the better marksman then, shall we?" Without another utterance, the vampire fired. Felix dodged, feeling his body coil and compress with a flexibility given to him by his truer form. Another shot to his left, and he dodged again, and again and again, convinced this vampire was making a fool of him for all he claimed to be a good marksman.

"Quit playing, vampire. I have business." He said, landing opposite his adversary. He could acutely hear the low sounds of footsteps as the humans awoke from the noise. "Besides, you're making an awful lot of noise."

"The same to you, demon- quit taunting me, and fight!" This man really was a lunatic, he was. "I've yet to see you draw a weapon!"

"Weapon?" Felix inquired, still a picture of calm. "Demons don't much fancy external weapons much. We like to use the ones attatched to us." He raised a hand to demonstrate, allowing his black claws to elongate before the vampire. "Of course mine are a tad different from the rest. You're better to withdraw from this now. I've no idea what my claws will do to a vampire."

"Let's find out then, shall we?"

"ALUCARD!"

It was Integra. She'd dressed herself and stood behind Felix by the stairwell down the hall. She wore a truly furious expression, though her eyes bugged when she seen Felix, as if instantly recognising him as a demon. Then again, he did have his claws out.

"If you are a smart woman, you will stay back. I'd rather not have any more casualties than necessary right now. After all, I'm only here for the child."

"Demitri? Why?" He turned over his shoulder to look at her blankly.

"He is a half-breed child. A hybrid between our kinds. " He loosely gestured between himself and Alucard. Her eyes threatened to pop from their sockets, and he could see from his periphery that Alucard was in not much better shape. The vampire then laughed darkly.

"And how is that possible? Vampire's cannot procreate."

"Female vampires are destined infertile, yes, but it would appear some males retain the ability to reproduce after transformation. See, Demitri was born from the union of a male vampire and a female demon. That is all I know about it. I've never met either parent nor do I intend to."

"Are you an enemy?" Integra asked coldly. Seemed that was the question of the day.

"No. Not personally. Again, I am here for Demitri."

"Who ordered you here?"

"I am not at liberty to disclose that."

"I see." Integra closed her eyes in thought. "Alucard." She said quietly.

"Yes, my Master?"

"Kill this thing. Do NOT let him capture Demitri. That's an order."

Alucard regarded his master with surprise, but it was quickly replaced by a face-eating grin of manic delight. Seems he had no choice. Some people missed the warning signs, he supposed.

"If it is going to come down to taking life, then I apologize." Felix stated. Integra, who had been turning to the stairwell whirled around at this. Felix wasted no time, dodging a bullet just barely as it whizzed by his right arm, and charging directly at Alucard, claws at the ready. Integra, behind him, caught up to the meaning of his words too late.

"ALUCARD!" She now called his name in alarm, but it was too late.

Alucard let himself be hit- and promptly regretted it when a pain that could only be decsribed as acid being injcted into him began to sear his ribs. He doubled over despite himself, caught off guard by the intensity of it. So, the snake had venom, did he? Alucard raised Casull to fire at Felix as he zoomed past him to get to Demitri's door, and was thoroughly satisfied when his one shot grazed the demon, who obviously handn't been expecting the attack from behind. However, Alucard was equally as surprised when Felix whilred on him with a very crimson gaze and promptly spat something at him from a distance of at least twelve meters. Alucard intended to dodge the pale, whitish-green stuff, but fell right in its way instead. The substance was mucous-like and sticky, and hit him square in the face, though most of it found its way onto his cheek- which then began to burn as if lit aflame.

"Gah!" Alucard hissed, wiping the toxic substance off of him as quickly as he could. His glasses had sheilded his eyes, but the stuff had a smell like terpentine mixed with sulphur, and it burned his eyes anyway, effectively blinding him. _'That tricky bastard. He's made sure I can't use these eyes to aim- too bad I have a few extra to spare.'_ Alucard stood without a word, wobbling only slightly. That damn venom really did hurt now, and it, along with the smell, was making him dizzy.

"Alucard, are you alright?" Integra voiced her concerns.

"I'll be fine. The pain is bearable." Integra frowned. The mere fact Alucard mentioned being in pain was a red flag in her book, especially when he mentioned it so seriously.

"I'll be back." Alucard said, taking off after Felix without another word. Interga watched on with concern. She heard a scream that rose into a metalic, grating screech as one of them happened upon Demitri's room. She knew it was him screaming somehow, and had to resist the urge to rush to that sound. It was the sound of a terrified child being woken from his sleep by a war- a sound she did not care to think of, and which evoked much stronger emotion in her than she was willing to admit. She knew her presence there would only be a burden- there was nothing she could do to help him. As usual, her troops arrived late, already missing the brunt of the action as they all rushed the hallway. She halted their ascent up the stairs with a raised hand. "Do not interfere. There is an enemy demon on the grounds. Protect yourselves and sheild your doors." The men all gasped and gawked. "Now!" She ordered, and they all fled. Only she remained in the hall, listening to the sounds of the scuffle between the demon and vampire. She cringed when Alucard roared, and again when a distinctly eerie and loud hissing erupted, along with a hard _thump_ that seemed far too foreboding. Demitri screamed again, and she had to forcibly turn herself away from it. She could do nothing. She could do nothing. She could do nothing.

Integra walked down the stairs and into the foyer. There she seen a now familiar shadow in the dark room. She ignored him for a moment, continuing to walk through the foyer until she stood roughly in front of him, keeping her posture and presenting her profile to the demon.

"Sebastian. I do not command you, and as such I cannot give you orders. However-"

"Yes, I know. I have orders from my own Master to deal with the traitor." He bowed at the shoulder as he adressed her.

"No." He lifted his head as she said this.

"No?"

"I will ask you to stay out of this. Alucard is fighting him now. You would either get in his way or worse- incite yourself as a target." To her surprise, Sebastian chuckled.

"I think I can live with that. Besides, I can not defy my orders- they are as absolute as the contract between us. To defy him defies the contract- which, I might add, is quite painful." He explained with a coy looking smirk. Integra thought.

 _"Alucard,"_ Integra spoke to him telepathically. _"It would seem you have backup- whether you want it or not."_

 _ **"Oh? Is that so? Well, he won't have much to do."**_ A gunshot echoed between her mind and reality, and she trusted he was as fine as he said he was-for now anyway.

 _"I see."_ She couldn't help but smirk in amusement.

"What is it?" Sebastian asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just afraid you won't have much left to do. However, an order is an order- if you can't defy it, then I shan't stop you." Her smugness dropped like a hot stone, however, when the demon _smiled._ There just wasn't a good way to decribe it besides taping the label _trouble_ onto the expression.

"We shall see about that." And with an evanescent flicker, he was gone.

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Ciel held his quarry pinned beneath him now- a young girl of around nineteen, who apparently had a penchant for being quite naughty. She was, as far as he had gathered, a kleptomaniac with a childish disposition and a habit of fit-throwing over ridiculous things. Not usually his preferred type, which had much more malicious souls, but she would do.

"No- no, stop! Sto-" He crushed her windpipe to shut her up. There was no need to alert the neighborhood of his doings. He'd made that mistake once and only once. Humans could be a force to be reckoned with even for a demon when they banded together. Having an angry mob of people trying to cane you and hit you with stones was more annoying than harmful, but having purified salt thrown at you was a different story.

"Shut up. You can't escape me. Struggle all you like. In fact, I encourage it." He smiled wickedly, and she seemed so terrified as to soil herself- if her pressure point hadn't already been struck as to prevent that. He learnt from Sebastian very early on how to do that- he cared not to be covered in human filth any more now than as a human himself. It was a handy skill, in any case. She certainly did try struggle, gripping at his arm and trying desperately to kick him. He released her throat just before she fainted, only to run a sharply clawed hand into her abdomen. He wasn't like Sebastian at all, no. Sebastian preferred tormented souls, souls so riddled with sin they could hardly be called human as they were. But Ciel- no, he preferred the younger ones. Ones that had known pain and acted childishly and stupidly as a result. Souls that acted with single-minded purpose and acted harshly upon the sins of coventousness and envy. It was a reminder of himself, and one of the few things in his demon life that kept him loosely tied to his human memories. However, there was something, akin to a human spice in a sense, that added another element of appeal to him- one that admittedly sickened even Sebastian, so he claimed.

Physical suffering.

He liked watching his victims writhe in pain. It wasn't something he could really help. He'd never considered himself especially sadistic as a human and that hadn't really changed- after all, he only really enjoyed it when he felt like that person deserved it. If you wanted to be greedy and hail everything as your own, you deserved to have it all taken away- your pride, your dignity, your honor, your sanity. He realised the hipocrisy of his actions, but he was a demon; hipocrisy was their very substance.

"You're quite boring. You don't writhe a lot. You must have a pretty high pain tolerance- or a pretty low one, if you're in shock already." He gazed into her brown eyes, touching her dark brown hair almost affectionately. "Poor thing. Would you like me to make the pain stop?" He dug his claws into her abdomen further, watching her spit blood as he did so with a sadistic sense of satisfaction. She nodded weakly, eyes becoming dull as shock quickly gripped her frail body.

"There there," He cooed sardonically. "I'll make it all stop..." He leaned over her, running a bloody hand over her face before gripping her hair harshly and bringing her neck, quickly swelling and bruising, at an acceptable angle. He wasted no time, feeling his own fangs elongate considerably as he promtly sunk them into her. He found it strange now that he knew a vampire that his kind traditionally fed much the same way they did. He chewed her flesh as he thought- more pain, more spice. And he'd always preferred rich foods. He felt her soul fill him as he swallowed her blood- he didn't care he was being messy at the moment. He was hungry. And hunger was not something he liked, nor was it something he ever liked. His human memories were dull and foggy at best, but there was always a sense of...oh, was it apprehension? That kept him feeding far more often than he actually needed to. He hated the sensation of hunger- it drove him mad in one way or the next, though curiously he could not place precisely why. He supposed it had something to do with what human memory he kept in his subconsciousness (did demons even have a subconscious mind?) but it was of little relevance.

He took a trusty knife from his pocket- Sebastian could dress up a corpse to make it look like it had died of natural causes, and usually did, but he wasn't here right now- which meant framing a homicide or suicide to cover his tracks. A simple enough task, but one which bored him greatly. He slid the knife over her neck sharply, making sure to mar the marks he'd made on her neck. He looked at his handiwork with a cocked head for a moment, wondering breifly when precisely he'd forsaken his sense of remorse for the dead. He turned and walked away without another word, using a glamor-spell on himself temporarily to cover up the blood. Also a useful skill.

Ciel walked back into the quiet streets from the alley he'd just left. He kept his pace nonchalant as he moved back toward the manor, hunger satisfied. He had to supress a laugh as he recalled Sebastian calling him a "demon of gluttony" once. He was absolutely right, of course, but then what did that make Sebastian? _'A curious thought indeed. What are his tools of sin? I suppose Lust would be on that list- he has a penchant for seduction, after all. But what else could there be? What was it about him that drew me to him, for instance?'_ He thought about it. _'I was drawn to him by longing. Longing for freedom. For vengeance. Maybe he tempts with vengeance? No, that wouldn't fit him exactly. He is not the type himself to hold a grudge- at least not that I am aware. But then what?...Maybe it was power? He certainly has the ability to corrupt a clean soul hunting for that. But he would have gone to someone like that damned Trancy if that was his primary sin. So...pride?'_ He stopped, looking to the sliver of crecent that was the waxing moon. The night sky was clear tonight, illuminating the soft snow that still lingered on the rooftops. _'Yes, I think that sin suits him just fine. He's an arrogant son of a bitch when you think about it, and he certainly had no problems convincing me to keep my own high horse. Ironic, though, that that'd be the case, all things considered.'_

He moved through the streets, keeping to the shadows. Humans were quite annoying nowadays with their newfound likness of the night. Artificial lights hurt his eyes, in any case. He wondered as he walked how Sebastian was handing their little issue. He'd suspected all along that Felix would betray them someday, but he never imagined it would be like this. He'd sensed Felix's energy on his way here, as had Sebastian, and knew he wasn't there for anything good, likely. He'd of sent a message or simply barged in if it had been for them- the fact he concealed himself like the snake he was proved his disloyalty. One thing that hadn't changed about himself all that much, despite his new nature- he hated being betrayed. And may the Devil save the souls af his own demons if they should cross him. And Felix had.

 _'My contract with Sebastian may have been involuntarily rewritten, but the terms remain the same. I still remain...no, not the same. I will never be my human self again. But my resolve hasn't changed. Rattle the dog's cage and it will bite. Betray me, and you will be erased. '_ He looked down at his family ring, still presiding on his thumb. The ring that had once encased his soul.* The ring of his human father, of his family name. A name he no longer had right to claim. A name that meant nothing now.

He couldn't have cared less for his family title anymore- he wasn't human, and things like earls had a very different sort of character in todays England. But he didn't care about that. He certainly didn't care about England, or the stupid Queen. He kept loyal to her Majesty not out of obligation, but out of spite. A fact Sebastian loved to tease him about. His family had, per his recollection, been erased by the very government he supposedly worked for. And he'd had his revenge on them. He recalled his conversation with Sebastian when he'd decided to continue as her loyal guard dog.

 _"What?" Sebastian had said with no small amount of surprise._

 _"Yes, Sebastian- I intend to continue working for the queen of England."_

 _"May I ask why? You sought your revenge on them, did you not?"_

 _"That was years ago now. And besides, I'm not doing it out of obligation. I'm doing it for myself. I could care less for my family name, for my human title- it all means nothing now. What matters is that you and I have a very long road ahead of us, and I intend fully to continue walking through the dark." He'd looked to Sebastian's neutral face. "And you shall remain beside me- eternally."_

 _"Yes, My Lord."_

And walk through the dark together they did. They were rarely apart, and even when they squabbled, as was to be expected when he was himself still just a naive child in Sebastian's eyes (perhaps justly so), they never parted ways longer than a year. He had to wonder, then, why Sebastian stuck around the way he did. The demon could go centuries he was sure without feeding- its not as if Sebastian fed with him but once every few months, sometimes ranging into years, anyways. So that eliminated the theory that he stuck around for the food. He'd only served Ciel as a human for barely three years- not even a day in the life of a demon like him. So that eliminated the necessity for normalcy- not that he was sure what "normal" looked like to Sebastian. He was positive there was almost no emotional connection- demons like they didn't feel emotions the way humans did. He couldn't remember what it felt like to feel remorseful anymore, or even what the hatred he had clung to so tightly had burned like all those years ago. He remained empty and sociopathic in his day to day feelings for the most part. Every once in a while, though, a strange feeling crept up on him whenever Sebastian was around. He hadn't been a fool in his mortal life- he knew better than to trust the demon's sincerity from the beginning, and still didn't trust Sebastian entirely- but...perhaps it was because he relied on Ciel for something as essential as food, or maybe it was the fact he knew the demon could leave at any time and still find a way to get away with it if he wanted to, but...he felt strange around the ancient demon sometimes. He could not feel love, now or then, but he imagined this was close. A strong need to just physically touch the demon compelled him sometimes, and he remembered distinctly a night or three in which he had simply sat in silence with Sebastian as his only company, softly stroking the demon wherever his hands wished, and was stroked in return, mostly through his hair like a cat. He hadn't minded it though, and had actually enjoyed those times. It completely escaped him why the behaviors, even when relatively innocent, felt so deeply intimate, but they did, and he would be lying to himself to say he didn't long for that sometimes.

He pushed the thought from his mind as he strode forth. Before he could even dream to act on those longings he held, they had to win a fight. And it seemed likely that that fight had already begun.

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Seras sat very still. She was sitting in a pub, which was choked full of humans on this night- even if it was already into the early morning. She breathed consciously so as not to draw too much attention to herself, but kept it slow as to feign sleep. She otherwise remained perfectly still, concentrating on finding her inner self in that moment. She knew it was there, knew where it lurked, behind the cage she created to seal the filthy minds of the humans she'd consumed into, save Pip, though here of late he seemed to hang back a lot more.

 _Let your body tell you what it wants, don't think about it rationally._

She focused on simply being for a time, and out of nowhere it struck her- a smell. She felt her stomach clench in anxiety, but refused to let down her Master- or herself. She opened her eyes caustiously, tracking them across the room until she found the source of the scent. She had to blink. Well, that made her job easy.

The man wore a brown leather jacket and faded jeans, with short, choppy, mouse-colored hair and a little bit of face stubble. He was clearly in his twenties by his smell alone, though he looked much older with a large scar running over one eye diagonally. He was sitting at a table, bragging about how he'd gotten such a wound to another young man. He seemed kind of shifty, the kid, but it did't matter. The other man is what she decided on. As she rose from her seat with a stretch, she had to stop and think seriously- was this what her body wanted, or was she using her head? She was hungry enough to be fine either way, but had to think for the sake of her integrity- and her Masters. She once more sniffed the room. His blood, for reasons unbeknownst to her, seemed most appealing. She smirked. This was going to be easier than she thought.

The older man spoke. He was obviously Welsh by his accent. "Oi, Georgie, boy, go fetch some drinks for your brother, will you?"

Or maybe not so easy.

"Sure, Regie." She walked past the man as his brother left, eyeing him discreetly. Seemed he had more than a scar on his face- he was bloody missing an arm. As she looked up to his face, she seen something. This man was somehow familiar to her- but how? The name sounded familiar, too.

"Oi, miss, can I help you?" He asked suddenly, having caught her gaze lingering. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.  
"Oh, me?" She pointed to herself. He nodded, but did not inspect her as she though he might. "Its just...have we met before?" His one eye looked up thoughtfully, and she didn't miss the way he swayed. He wasn't drunk, but he was on his way there.

"I can't say I'd know right off the top of me head." He looked at her, a strange expression hiding in his one brown eye. He looked tired, jaded even. Not the usual spunky, scummy rats she hunted. Seems she made a miscalculation. A big one.

"Well, don' be shy. I promise I don' bite none." He smiled at her, and she had to return the gesture with unease. _'But I do.'_

"Come, sit wit' me. My brother'll likely be off doin' his own thing, the rascal. But he's a good kid." Seras felt her heartstrings ring disharmoniously in her chest. But she couldn't back out now. She'd be letting down too many.

"What's'yer name, sweetheart?"

"Um..Seras. Victoria." He eyed her, nodding. "Yer last name seems familiar to me, but I'm afraid that its a pretty common name..." She nodded, blushing a bit. Well, if she was going to use her usual tactics, now was a good time to start. Still, she could see where this might be more difficult than before.

"Um," She twirled her finger on the table before her, both intentionally and subconsiously acting meek. She used seduction, but that didn't mean she was flambouyant about it. No, she preferred to keep it quiet. Besides, with the usual scum, a small, meek girl who looked like she hadn't a clue how to flirt was a very enticing- even if they were dead wrong on two of the three counts most of the time. "So, where are you from?" Small talk wasn't usually something she had to do a lot of, but as her Master had warned her, this was going to take extra effort.

"Well, if the accent isn't a giveaway, I was born in Whales, but I lived here in London a long time. I was in the military a while- as you can tell." He lifted what remained of his left arm for emphasis. Great, he was a cripple too. Well that made her job just that much peachier.

"Oh? Where were you at? " A shadow passed over his face, and she instantly regretted asking.

"Sorry- I didn't mean to be insensitive. Just curious is all." She ad to turn her face away in shame. To her surprise, he began to laugh, a rich, velvety sound.

"Don't mind it none. I get asked often enough as you might venture to guess." She laughed a bit to ease the tension.

"So...any other plans for the night?" She asked, still avoiding his gaze directly. She didn't miss a breif flash in his eye though as she said that, but it was gone before she could identify it.

"Nah, I ain't got nothin' to do much here. I'm sure Georgie'll be fine on his own anyhow." There was a way he said that that put up a little yellow caution flag, but she ignored it, figuring it was just her nerves. "You wanna go someplace? Now that I'm thinking of it, I migh've seen ya 'round before. Maybe we can talk in a quieter place, neh?" He smiled as he said this, but again, something about it seemed off. Maybe he was a whackjob? She didn't know, and told herself firmly she didn't care- she had to do this.

"Okay. Anyplace you're thinking of?" He rose from his seat, stopping to think as she did the same. "There's a little place on the edge of town I think might be nice. It'll be empty this time of morning. We should get there before dawn if we be walkin'." There it was, that little tug at the back of her mind again, her senses telling her something was wrong with him. But he didn't feel dangerous- no, he seemed harmless enough; but then why? Maybe it was because she felt she recognised him? "Let's go, miss Victoria." He held out his one good arm in a gentlemanly gesture, and she really did feel bad about having to do this. But there was no time to think about that.

They walked the frigid air of London streets in silence. The silence seemed...not eerie, but...heavy. As if he had a lot on his mind. She kept the silence out of some sense of respect, not really sure what she was getting herself into.

"We be here, miss." He said finally as they stopped- she hadn't even been paying attention to how long they'd been walking. They truly were on the edges of the city, where it began to bleed into the suburbs. In front of them was an abandoned candy shoppe, one she recognised. She'd seduced a man not far from here before, and taken him into the same abandonded shoppe to die. That thought had her reeling from herself, but she steeled her resolve. Why had he chose to come here, of all places?

"I used to love this place as a kid." He said, and she looked up to find that he was not looking at her, but the shoppe they stood before. He had nostalgia written on his face, and suddenly Seras felt very sad for him. It was an unbidden emotion, and one she didn't bother to conceal. He closed his eyes, and a sense of dread hit her. She was doubting herself now more than ever, and was considering if it was really worth it to take his life. For what?

 _ **"You need to do this. You need to overcome this. The lesson will not be as intended, but I will permit it for now. Do this and you can return home straight away. Though I would refrain from going upstairs."**_ Her master's voice invaded her mind, and she was reminded that he could do that from almost anywhere now. What was he talking about?

"Shall we go inside?" He looked down at her, and his one eye said something then, something unspoken, something that made her realise that her own words had come back to jinx her.

He was a shepard boy.

"...Yes?" She was confused now. Usually they ran, or tried to kill her, but again she sensed no threat from him. In fact he seemed...relaxed. "You needn't be so suspicious o' me, Seras." The way he said her name... "You know who I am?"

"Yeah. I know who ye are, miss." He said almost sadly as they walked around to the back, where there was an unlocked door. They walked inside the dusty, empty place, and he left the door open just a crack to let some light in. Seras could see just fine in the dark, but she knew it was too dark for a human to see.

"Who are you?"

"I wouln't be surprised ya didn't know me. I didn't last long in Hellsing." That stopped her thoughts dead.

"You-"

"Yeah. They let me go once this happened-" He gestured to his arm and eye in the dark. "On the condition I didn't tell anyone what I knew. But that's just the problem, see. I can't talk to anyone about them- about the nightmares, about the pain of these old wounds. So I gots to keep it in me- but I can't. You understand, don't'ya, miss?" She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. He sighed.

"I know what ya came here to do." Her anxiety spiked at this. "But I won' stop you." She reeled from shock before a heavy rock of dread hit her stomch like a punch from Alucard.

"What-"

"I want you to bite me." She blinked. "I know I'll die. But I figure It's the least I can do. After all, I owe Hellsing for letting me go. Seems only fitting they should end me." Seras felt her chest getting hot as a sqeezing feeling pressed on her throat.

"No- no, you don't have to do this. You're still so young- why would you throw that away?" She could hear the shiver in her voice. She seen him smile in the dark.

"Don't get upset, Miss. I figure there's worse ways to go. Besides, even if you hadn't of come along, I'd still be leaving tonight." He pointed to the ceiling then, and her stomach lurched at a rope hanging there ominously. She shook her head- he couldn't really be asking her to do this...

"Please, Miss," He turned to her then, eye searching the dark for her hopelessly. She reached out to him, touching his face gently. He closed his eye, leaning into her touch, and she felt a hot tear escape her at the pleading in his voice. "Do this for me. Drink of me. I'd be honored. You were such a kind thing, despite your nature. I respected that." She closed her eyes as his one hand found hers, gripping it against his face. "But my time is up. I've got no more to give."

"But what about your brother?" She asked quietly, hearing a soft _plop_ as her tears hit the dusty floor. Could she do this? She inhaled deeply, and was suddenly disgusted to find that his blood still smelled especially appetizing beneath his skin.

"Nah, Georgie's not my real brother. He's a kid like me who's seen the army- though not my side of it." He gripped her hand tighter. "He'll be sad I'm gone, for sure, but I can't stand to suffer anymore. The nightmares- they tear me apart." His voice cracked shamelessly as he too cried.

"Please, Miss. I don't want to go on. Even if you refuse, I've got a backup plan." He drew from his pocket something shiny. A handgun. Her stomach dropped and she sobbed despite herself.

"Now don't be cryin for me, Miss. You can have as much or as little of me as you like- but I insist." She weighed her options. "I'd be much happier if you did it. And it'd hurt a lot less." He made a good point. But could she? She felt Alucard push at her mind before he got there, and roughly shoved him back. If he spoke to her now, she would break.

"I...Okay. Okay." She breathed a shuddering breath, despite not needing it, strenghtening her resolve. "But only if I get to finish what I started first. Then I'll be content." He looked surprised, but smiled, tossing his gun.

"Alright by me." She walked up to him, putting both hands on the sides of his face. Their eyes seemed to lock in the dark, and she breathed to calm herself before reaching up and kissing him softly. They embraced in that dark place, and she offered her body to him- a single, drawn out apology for what she was about to do.

She waited until he was on the brink of finishing himself to sink her fangs into his neck, trying despite her thirst to remain tender. To an outsider, it might have looked like a kiss, but he seemed to understand, going faster. She felt her own release coming fast upon her as she drank from him, repositioning her fangs against her will so as to draw more from him. She shuddered as she felt the pleasure wash over her, beginning with that electric shock from down below. She refused to think of the fact she was connected to the person she was drinking from, again. Her second time having sex, and it was out of pity, and still with her victim. How pathetic was she, really?

He finished soon thereafter, and she felt tears prick her eyes and her stomach threaten to retch the blood she'd just drank. "Thank you, Miss." he whispered, panting. She could hear how tired he was becoming. His breathing began to slow as if he was falling alseep, and she kept drinking, slowly, and in spite of the lump in her throat. She supported his body as he fell slowly, letting him sink onto her gradually. She shook, feeling a hot wetness all over her face. Once she was absulotely sure he had nothing left in him, she released her hold, instantly sobbing. She sat there and cried as she felt him breathe one last time.

"Come, Seras." It was Alucard. He'd appeared beside her, though she wasn't surprised. "It is done. You can come home now." His voice was quiet and...soft? It made her want to run to his arms and just cry, but she was too ashamed to do that at the moment- and not because she was naked beneath the man either.

"Come. I will come back to deal with his body." She nodded, slowly moving the now dead body off of her, feeling him slip from her with a slightly disgusted wrench in her stomach. She sat up, covering her top only half-consciously. His cloak wrapped around her shoulders, and she looked up to her Master's face, only to see that he looked...well, unwell.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine. We had some tresspassers on the manor that had a little more bite than I anticipated. Speaking of which, we should go." He opened his arm, inviting her to his side- a strange gesture from him, but she took it as they teleported back to the mansion. To her surprise, they arrived in Alucard's room. He released her, walking over to his throne before plopping in it almost tiredly.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just tired. Like I said, out intruder put up a better fight than I anticipated." He breathed steadily, tilting back his head as he closed his eyes. He looked much paler than usual, and frankly...

"You look like you're about to faint," Seras said, rushing up to him, heedless of the fact she presently wore nothing but his red coat.

"I feel like it too." That sent off a few alarms in her head. Just what she needed.

"Does Integra know?"

"No, and I'd rather keep it that way. If she sees me like this, she'll make me go to the damn medical team, and they can never do shit for me. They can't. As much as they know about vampires, my body remains a mystery to them- and to me." He breathed sharply a moment.

"Are you in pain? Did you get hurt?"

"Well no shit I got hurt." He snapped, but sighed. "Our intruder was a demon. A snake demon at that. He got me with his venom, I'm guessing, and now after the fact I'm feeling the effects. But according to Sebastian, I should live. He didn't inject a full dose- he wasn't trying to kill me, just get me out of the way. Something I find odd." Alucard chuckled, but it was quiet and half lived. "But he's dead now. Nothing more to do." Seras looked at her Master in surprise.

"You killed him? What was he here for?" He lifted his head to look at her, eyes tired. He seemed to ponder his own words.

"We will talk about it later." He said finally. He looked her up and down, and for the first time, she realised she was naked underneath his coat- a thought that absolutley should not have sent a shiver of a most familiar kind up her spine from down below. Especially not now.

"You can keep it for a night if you want. I've no need of it at present." He closed his eyes, letting his head fall to his shoulder. "It is nearly dawn, Seras. Go dress and go to bed."

"But Master-"

"I'll be alright." His words had an alienly tender note in them. "Now go. I need to rest." She nodded, phasing through the wall into her room, just adjacent. She paused for a moment. So much seemed to have happened tonight, yet there was still time before dawn. She decided she could forgo getting dressed for a moment or two and flopped unceremoniously onto her bed. She had to sigh. She felt emotionally and physically drained.

But good soldiers marched on.

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 **Okay, splitting this chappy cuz it's too long. Sorry for the heartache- I promise it gets worse.**

 **ASTERISK!**

 ***Ciel's soul:** Was transfered to his ring at the beginning of Black Butler S2. That's how Sebastian kept Claude from stealing it initially and how he brought Ciel back even after his soul had been removed. :)

 **Dont forget to REVIEW! For the next drama inducing chapter.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright! Let's see what can be done to get this ball rolling, shall we? I aught to warn you that things are rough from here on out. There will be much death in future chapters as we draw to our close- so be prepared for turblence, because I will not warn you of everything (to keep the suspense because I'm evil like that) from here on out excepting heavy triggers. SO good luck. :) The song posted is actually the theme of Alois Trancy, but serves a double purpose as the "theme" of our little Demitri, who happens to have a few things in common with the brat, quite unintentionally (He's also got things in common with Ciel as well...also unintentionally) To explain something about it: The "strawberry fields" are the gates of heaven, which in certain mythologies is said to be covered in fields of strawberries. No clue why, but that's what it means (in theory).**

 **That said:**

 **WARNINGS: some angst. It can't really be helped. Drama. Oh, and UNDERTAKER IS BACK! Which means- you anime-only peoples (I used to be one of ya so I feel you) might be a little bit confused, because I am basing his character on the manga, which I am also basing Sebastian's character on as well, if the dark notes aren't too obvious. I'll explain what the anime-only people missed from Undertaker's story as much as I am able, combined with my own theories, but I make no promises.**

 **Onwards and...well I can't say upwards exactly...**

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 **CH XIII (lucky number?)**

 _ **The Slightly Chipped Full Moon**_

 _Artist:? Still belongs to Yana Toboso._ __

 _The full moon slightly chipped,_

 _That's so me, so please,_

 _Save me and hold me tight,_

 _Just make me alright;_

 _Under the dark clouds_

 _Wingless swans in my soul;_

 _From the fortress a pessimist..._

 _..._

 _My howl in the night to the isolated star,_

 _Don't drive me crazy, everything seems too far,_

 _The sky so deep,_

 _Spread endlessly-_

 _How on earth can I get to the strawberry fields?_

 _..._

 _The full moon slightly chipped,_

 _Uncertain, Oh please,_

 _Save me and let me smile,_

 _Just make me alright,_

 _Over the bed of trees my heart spins around..._

 _..._

 _My howl in the dawn to the isolated star,_

 _I dare to forgive you, everything seems too far;_

 _But care for me,_

 _Tenderly,_

 _How on earth can I get to the stawberry fields?_

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Seras was awoken from her slumber by a noise. It took her a few moments to recognize the sound as something heavy falling on the floor, something not too hard, because it made a loud, but muffled _thump_ against the stone. Like a body.

Wait...

Seras bolted upright, rapidly pulling a nightgown over her still nude form (she'd fallen asleep wrapped in her Masters coat, apparently) and phasing through the wall into her Master's bedchambers, where she'd heard the noise come from. She seen her Master down on all fours (well, three) before his throne as if he'd fallen from it, clutching his side with one hand as he bled profusely from both the wound and his nose, though he made no effort to halt the sanguine fluid from dripping into his hair, matting it more than it aught have if it was fresh- he'd been bleeding like this for a while, the dried bloodstains on his face and chin making that fact ever more apparent. He hissed as if in pain, clutching his side tightly as blood _plopped_ sickeningly onto the stone floor. The smell of his blood was all over the room, and looking around in the darkness, it looked as though a wounded animal had been pacing an oval shape about the room, leaving bloody tracks that could only belong to someone as big as Alucard in its wake.

"Master!" Seras dove beside him, tucking her small arm under him and placing her hand over his where his rested against his wounded side, pressing frimly to staunch the bleeding. Why was he bleeding like this? Shouldn't he have healed already? What the hell was happening?

"Seras," His voice sounded normal, at least, though she was sure it took some effort on his part. She noticed then that he had his eyes closed tightly, and that he was bleeding from them as well, crying tears of blood. He took a breath to speak to her and she heard a disgusting gurgling sound, and knew he had blood in his lungs, too. "Master, I'm scared- what on earth is happening to you?" Seras said, half panicked.

"I've been poisoned by that damn demon. It isn't enough to kill me, but I must admit I am quite miserable. Sebastian failed to mention I would bleed all over the place like this." He kept his eyes closed. "Seems that demons venom is haematoxic- as well as neurotoxic." He pulled a harsh breath into his lungs, stopping a moment to resist a cough.

"What does that mean, exactly?"

"It means I can't actually feel my legs or my hands right now. It all feels like pins and needles, which is really annoying. It also means I have completely lost the biological ability to clot my blood, though I can keep most of it in check with my powers. Still, something about it seems to be inhibiting by ability to change forms or to pull myself together. Makes me wonder just what that snake demon eats, to have venom like this."

"He eats other demons."

Seras shouldn't have been surprised by the voice, but she was, for it was not the elder demon who spoke at the moment, but Ciel. "Felix was a strange demon. That is why we kept him. He is not a soul eating demon like us, though he's not exactly a flesh eating demon either- he is a rarity that subsists on both. They're called 'all consuming' demons for a reason." He stood as a silhouette against Alucard's doorframe, walking in with an air of confidence to suit a noble, and an attitude to match. "The figurative 'swallowers of worlds'; a dragon that can eat both demons and humans, flesh and soul. As such, he would need venom that is capable of weakening the body in slow, torturous agony, which serves a double purpose to weaken the spirits of the dying, which never quite know when the final stage will set in." He said this all with a sadistic smirk playing on his lips. "But you've held out a lot longer than most- the venom takes about three hours to kill a human, up to forty to kill a demon like myself. However, you lasted a full six before you even started bleeding- a good sign."

"But didn't Sebastian say he wasn't envenomated badly enough to die?" Seras asked, confused.

"He did- but even he can be wrong." Seras felt a sharp stab of anxiety peirce her gut like a sword, burning coldly in the pit of her stomach. "He's bleeding quite profusely, and his powers are waning- he's advancing through the stages of death, whether you like that or not."

"No!" Seras stood- he was trying to trick her again. He had to be. "He isn't going to die!...are you, Master?" She looked back to him feeling tears prick her eyes. Alucard? Dying? Why did that though make her feel so strange?

"No. I won't die." Alucard replied smoothly, confidently, despite his injuries. "It takes much more than poison to fell me. I'm merely feeling ill for a while. But I sense it will dissipate soon. Already I've extracted most of the venom with my powers, and thrown it up onto the floor. This is just residue." Alucard sat up slowly, following Seras onto his feet, though he pushed aside the hands that offered to help him. Ciel wore an amused and mildly surprised expression.

"Well, then it would appear he was wrong." Ciel mused to himself.

"Who was wrong?" Seras inquired, placing a hand on her Master's arm to steady him subconsciously when she seen him sway from her periphery.

"Hm. My messenger, Undertaker. He bet me Alucard would die- and he's usually not wrong about these things." Ciel explained. "But then he also predicted Sebastian would die soon, however that is supposed to happen. And not by your hand." He remarked to Alucard. "He made that particular detail quite specific."

"Oh?" Alucard said curiously, still refusing to open his eyes, though he lifted his head as if to look at Ciel. "And does your messengers foreshadowing unsettle you?" He asked almost mockingly. Ciel scoffed.

"No. I don't know of any demon outside of Hell itself that can defeat Sebastian. Nevermind kill him. Besides, 'soon' can mean anything to a demon- a century is nothing to us. His answer was vague, as it always is, so I can't pin a date on anything. Though he did forewarn me of one particular day- which is what I came down here for. To pass on his message."

"Your messenger gave us a message? Why not deliver it in person?"

"He is a...different, breed than you or I. To see his presence upon your doorstep would be most foreboding to many." Ciel smirked. "To see him now would mean the end of you." Seras pondered over his confusing words a moment, while Alucard replied, "Is that so? Hn...well, then pass it on, whatever he said." Alucard seemed amused, which relieved Seras for the time. He was acting pretty normal for someone bleeding out onto the floor.

"He warned me that the night of the half moon, that we- all of us- should be expecting to witness something. He did not say what, only that it was rare, and made a note to have me tell you precisely that. Of what relevance that is, I don't know. My messenger he may be, but he's always been a tricky bastard- not to mention an old one." Ciel mumbled. "I still can't beleive he's lived all this time. You'd think with as much trouble as he's prone to that somebody would've killed him by now." The younger demon mused to himself. "But then, he's not exactly your everyday foe." Seras's curiousity was piqued now, but she kept it to herself, making a mental note to try her hand at interrogating this one, who seemed much more persuadable. Sebastian had made it clear the other day that he knew something about the entire Demitri situation that she did not- and which likely no one else did. She knew better than to try confronting Sebastian alone again, but maybe Ciel would have answers to her questions, or at least be able to double agent for her to get that information from Sebastian- demons liked deals, didn't they?

"Well, that's all I came to say- though I can see you're having a bit of trouble." He smirked wider, glancing toward Alucard's wounded abdomen. "Actually, I may know of something that might be able to help with that." Alucard slowly opened his eyes, which were coated in a dim film of red from the blood. "And what might that be?"

"Well, Sebastian is immune to Felix's venom- he was 'bitten', so to speak, several times during that fight, but suffered little more than a residual ache from the venom. Apparently he has had dealings with the serpents before- which explains somewhat his lack of hesitation bringing such a peculiar demon into our ranks. He made it a point to gain gradual immunity to the venom of these demons who eat demons, lest he be bitten or attacked. As such, I imagine his blood has all the antivenin you would need- however, extracting it would be a bit of a problem, since demon blood normally clots too fast for it to be used in human machinery. "

"So then how would you get it out?" Seras asked skeptically. Ciel smiled wider.

"Well, all we would be able to do is transfuse his blood plasma into Alucard's body, and hope that it would take- but given what demon blood does to a vampire when ingested, I don't think injecting it directly into his veins would be so wise. That said, Integra has been made aware of your...condition." He motioned again to Alucard's side with his eyes. "And has made an implied request of me to offer what help I can. However, demon medicine is not my area of expertise- nor is it Sebastian's. Actually, that area falls upon one of our other little soldiers- a demon named Alistar." Ciel frowned. "He's a dreadful pain to get going, but he knows more about healing than any demon I've ever seen. I would dare to go so far as to say he enjoys it." Ciel said with some distaste. "I can call upon him if you wish. He will be intrumental in our little battle anyway, given that he is capable of treating wounds inflicted by demonic weapons- a rare gift, and one well utilized on the battlefield. As such, I would see no harm in making introductions early." Ciel smiled crookedly, revealing one poorly hidden canine. The room fell quiet with thought.

"And this Alistar- he _is_ a demon, right?" Seras inquired, suspicious.

"As far as I can tell, yes, though Sebastian has expressed his doubts before. After all, you don't see very many white demons." This had Seras's eyes widening from surprise, but she pulled her expression back into a skeptical frown as she regarded the pre-adolescent demon in front of her. "But he tolerates the lazy bum more than any other demon we have; then again, Alistar's not exactly the confrontational sort. He'd much rather keep to himself and laze about all day than bother picking a fight with anyone. Truly, a creature of 'sloth'." Ciel once again was musing to himself, and Seras got the impression he talked to himself a lot. Then again, if all she had to talk to was someone like Sebastian, she could understand where the need to talk to yourself just to escape the torrent of riddles that came out of that demons mouth might come from. Suddenly she felt a small dab of pity for the young demon in front of her. He was just as chained to Sebastian as Sebastian was to him- and clearly, despite the technical nature of their relationship as master and servant, the older of the two is who really held the power. She wondered then, how aware this cocky kid was of the fact his own servant had the ability to manipulate him as much as she thought he could. It was a sad thought, but one she brushed aside like dirt- despite her human feelings, these were demons. They didn't feel self-pity or remorse, so wasting either on them was pointless. That, and she just didn't like him.

"That might be a good idea." Seras said after it was apparent Alucard had no opinion to share. "You should do that."

"Very well. I'll tell Sebastian to call him. He will be here by next evening, knowing him, so hopefully you can hold out until then." He smiled twistedly at Alucard, a small, mischeivious chuckle escaping him as he turned and walked out the door, leaving Seras alone with her Master once more. They spent what felt like eternity in silence before Seras cleared her throat.

"Master...are you really okay?"

"Do you think I'd of lied if I wasn't?"

"...frankly, Master, yes, I do." He chuckled.

"I wasn't lying. I will be fine by the time that other demon arrives. Look, the bleeding is stopping." He gestured vaguely to his side, the bleeding from which seemed to be slowing. He stepped away from her then, and she felt compelled to follow him.

"I told you I am fine." He snapped irritably as she ghosted him whilst he walked back to his throne.

"I can't help it, Master- even if you say you are fine, you still look like hell. I...I worry about you." She said with a blush. He looked to her, eyes not totally focused- clearly the blood was still obscuring his vision a bit.

"Then perhaps you can help clean up this mess. Integra will likely make you help anyway, since you are a witness." That reminded her-

"Master, I know you had to fight a demon on the grounds, but Ciel made it seem like Sebastian was there also."

"Yes. The demon was once one of their own. He betrayed them by siding with the enemy- so Ciel ordered him to be erased." She nodded in understanding. "So he was one of the demons those vampires were using. Did you get any information out of him about it?"

"No. Unfortunately, Sebastian informed us that he would kill himself before we got any information out of him. He failed to mention how he knew that, as usual, but said that his orders were absolute- he was ordered to erase the demon, so he did."

"But didn't you help?"

"Yes. He even acknowledged me for that, much to my surprise." Alucard said with a sarcastic grin.

"A gesture of false politeness, I'm sure." Seras muttered under her breath. He heard her, clearly, for he laughed.

"Indeed." He said as he once more plopped into his throne chair. He breathed audiably, and no longer sounded gurgly.

"You seem tired." She remarked.

"I am tired. I'd like to see you lose that volume of blood and not feel a little fatigued." His dark, velvety voice had its usual sarcastic edge back to it, and Seras breathed a sigh of releif. There was a long but not uncomfortable silence as Alucard closed his eyes a moment.

"Seras, come here."

She obeyed without a second thought, coming up beside his throne chair, knowing intuitively that she sholdn't rightly approach it from the front, even if his body language was unusually relaxed.

"Come, in front of me." He ordered, and she swallowed thickly, unsure what he was intending to do- the only other time she had been invited to his throne he had bitten her, though she supposed after losing so much of his own she wouldn't be half inclined to deny him her own right now. He did need it more than she did, after all.

"You really are too kind a person." He remarked offhand. She blushed furiously when he gestured to his lap with a pat, encouraging her to sit there.

"Master-"

"Come, sit with me." She was suddenly worried about hurting him in his state, but he insisted with another patting gesture.

"I can hardly feel my legs right at the moment- the neurotoxic affects have yet to abate." He said it factually, but she knew he was trying to soothe her.

"O-okay." She swallowed, trying to shove the blood rushing to her face back into her body, only to have it suddenly rush to her stomach, making it quiver with butterflies. She hesitantly turned and sat delicately upon his lap, finding the position entirely awkward all things considered. It must have shown in her behavior (how could it not?) because he chuckled darkly, almost mocking her.

"Um...Master..."

"Yes, I would like to drink from you. But I won't ask for it." He smiled smugly in the dark, and she held back a huff. So that's what he was playing at. Clearly, he felt better.

"Fine." An inexplicable wave of sassiness hit her out of nowhere, and she felt inclined to oblige his unsaid demand, tossing her dignity to the back of her mind for a moment in favor of smoothing her pride. She promptly stood before turning to face him and straddling him facing forward. In hindsight, not her best move, but one that got the desired reaction. He regarded her with surprise, and she noted subconsciously that even with his face and hair covered in blood he was still pretty damn attractive.

"If you want it, come and get it." She hadn't a clue what the hell she was thinking, or doing, or saying for that matter, but the guilt and worry that had been gnawing at her since she woke was going away, so clearly she was doing something right. He pulled her closer by the waist, inviting a light blush. She tilted her head, allowing him access. She reminded herself, feeling a quiver of nervousness, that he needed it more than she did.

"I care not for their medicines- no matter how effective." He murmured against her skin as he nosed her neck in an almost cat-like gesture. "Your blood is all the medicine I need." She had to blush furiously at the admonishment, but didn't have much time to dwell upon it as he bit into her with a tenderness that left her mind lagging more than usual as the effects of the bite took hold. She relaxed into him involuntarily, feeling a primal sort of excitement stir below once she half-consciously adressed their particular position. For reasons unknown, the thought of sex (with him, presumably) just didn't scare her as badly when they were like this, while he had her literally between his teeth. She was sure it was some kind of instinctual thing, since vampires procreated via biting- but at any other time, the thought of sleeping with him, while appealing, still had a scary quality to it. Alucard was big, abrasive, and prone to violence ordinarily- but that wasn't even what scared her most. No, what frightened her most about the situation was her own self, her own heart. She acknowlwedged her crush for her Master, but found it to be most detrimental when lust also became involved. She was afraid to fall in love with a monster, a creature forged by darkness same as she; but her heart and body disagreed, and the fear was not enough to hold her back forever, she knew. If she wasn't careful with herself, she would lose to her carnal desires and wind up doing something she might ultimately wish she hadn't.

But a stray thought had been bugging her mind lately- how did she know she would regret it? Who was to say that he would be as cold and callous about it as she imagined him to be? _'But who's to say he won't be?'_ She thought. She groaned when he gripped her hips suddenly in a tight hold, digging his thumbs into her pelvis in a way that triggered a most unexpectedly pleasurable reaction.

 _ **"You know, there's only one surefire way to know."**_ He teased her, and she blushed maroon at the realisation that he'd heard every thought. She forgot that while feeding on her, he had access to almost everything going through her head, whether she wanted him to have it or not.

 _"But, you're injured,"_ She knew it was pointless to deny her thoughts, but still needed an excuse to say no.

 _ **"But do you really want to say no? Besides, these wounds will be healed in no time thanks to your generous sacrifice. Tell you what, Police Girl- if you still want it when I am not biting into your flesh,"**_ The way his velvety voice said that made her shiver for one reason or the next. _**"Then I will return the favor and give most generously myself- take from that what you will."**_ He released her then, and she felt a wave of dizziness hit her as she pulled away. He'd taken more than she'd intended to give.

"We should both recover within the same time frame now. When that happens, I will come to you, and you can decide then if- and how- you would go about this." His voice was at a hush, but the words rang like tolling bells in her mind. He motioned for her to get off of him, and she did so with grace, slipping off of his lap and leaving his room without another word, mind abuzz with thought that she decided it was best of her to block from her Master's still probing mind.

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Integra was walking down the hall where Demitri's room was situated, intent on visiting the small boy. She hadn't checked in on him since the attack, and wondered if he had been injured, despite Alucard's claims that he'd been fine. "Fine" to Alucard meant something very different than what any normal person might define it by, as evidenced by the not so charming status report she'd gotten from Sebastian regarding Alucard's physical state after being envenomated by that snake.

"Demitri, are you awake?" It was mid afternoon, and given his prepensity to sleep during the day, she expected confirming silence to greet her. However, as she opened the door, a quiet "Yes," slipped through. As she stepped into the room, she took note of the fact that it looked completely normal, despite the carnage she'd expected. Not even a bloodstain lingered on any surface. It was almost enough to impress her.

"Sebastian cleaned everything up." Demitri filled in on her surprised expression. She looked to him then to find him sitting up in bed, holding a sheet around his torso almost as you'd expect a naked woman to, covering his chest almost self-consciously. He was indeed shirtless, but she supposed that it wasn't that strange for a young boy to sleep with no shirt- what was strange was the way he was behaving about it. She chose not to remark on it, instead closing the door softly behind her.

"I wanted to see if Alucard was lying about you being hurt." She offered. His eyes were downcast and stayed that way as she spoke.

"No, I'm not hurt." He said quietly, and for some reason she felt inclined to disbelieve him. Still, she did not press the matter.

"That's good." She said, walking closer to the bed. He looked up at her suspiciosuly then, and she could tell he did not trust her.

"Can we talk?" His eyes shifted, shining for a moment with fear as he shrank into himself like a child expecting to be scolded. Then again, he _was_ a child.

"You aren't in any trouble. I just want to ask you some questions." Still, he remained tense and uncertain. Integra moved to pull a chair beside the bed, hoping that if she was not standing that maybe she would not seem so intimidating, but halted all movement when he flinched away, scooting further from her as if expecting to be hit. She made a mental note not to make fast movements around him, and pitied him for his sorry state. Seeing Alucard transformed into the monster of his nightmares was probably enough on its own, nevermind watching Sebastian kill a demon that was, as far as she was aware, trying to kidnap him. She couldn't blame him for being terrified in general, but could blame him even less for being afraid of her, given her relationship to Alucard.

"I'm not going to call Alucard in here no matter what happens. He's too badly hurt from that stupid snake to do much good anyway." She knew she was lying, but figured making an intimidating person like Alucard seem just slightly less invincible was a good place to start. It seemed to work, and he relaxed a little bit.

"Now, I just want to ask you something- Seras told me the other day that you said you'd been hurt by someone, that somebody tried to attack you a long time ago. I want to know if you have any idea why that might be." He looked down, thinking. "Felix- the demon- said you were half vampire, half demon. Is that true?"

"I...I don't know. I never met my Papa, don't even know what he looks like, and...well, I guess you could say my Mama was a demon, but I'm not really sure...Sebastian told me I was definitely the 'product of a demon', whatever that means, but other than that I don't know nothin'." His tone indicated his displeasure at being interrogated once again, but she had no one else to ask.

"Okay...What about the man that attacked you before? Was it Felix?" Demitri shook his head.

"No...The man that attacked me looked..." He tucked his head suddenly, as if unsure if he should say what was on his mind.

"Yes?" Integra insisted gently.

"Well, he looked kinda like Alucard, Ma'am, but shorter, and with red hair and some kind of weapon that was big, shiny, and made lots of noise. I don' really remember much from then though, cause I was really little...But I remember he was all red. Lots of red..." His eyes glazed with distance as he recalled the horror of the event, eyes revealing the ghostly fear of a child that had seen more than he aught to have. She seen the same look in Seras's eyes sometimes, and had wondered on more than one occaision why that was. But it wasn't her place to ask.

"What about this weapon? Do you think you can describe it better?" She asked patiently. One perk of getting old- you learned that there were things worth reserving your limited patience for. This was one of these things.

"Well...I-I can show you the scar..." He said quiety, once more tucking into himself. Suddenly she understood why he might've been self conscious of his body.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I understand."

"No...I wanna help." His response surprised her as he slowly lowered the sheets from around his body and turned to reveal his other side, up wich was a jagged, deep scar that ran from his abdomen over his flank to go up to nearly the middle of his back- it literally looked as if someone had tried to saw him in half. Wait-

"What did you say this weapon looked like? Can you try to remember what it looked like better?"

"Well...I remember it looked kinda like an oar at first, but it had some kind of red blocky thing that you hung onto...I remember it made a terrible noise, and that it was shiny..." He paused in thought a moment, turning back around to lean back on a proped up pillow behind him. "Oh! Thats right...it was spinning..."

"What was spinning?"

"The weapon...it had teeth on it, I think. But they spun, and made an awful _whhirrrrr_ noise that was really loud...It felt like teeth when it hit me too, I think...Like being chewed up by something..." His voice fell and his eyes widened as the memory came back to him. She had no doubts in her mind what the weapon was now, unbelievable as it was, and didn't think she needed much more intel to find someone like that.

"That's all I need for right now. Thank you." She snapped him from his mental trap, turning to walk away.

"Wait!" She paused, looking back over her shoulder.

"There...there was another man there..." She turned to face him once more from halfway across the room.

"Oh?"

"He was wearing black and white...I...I didn't think I really seen him, but I'm not sure of that now. He...well, he looked almost like a human, but he had a long stick with scissors on the end. He didn't try to get me, but he watched...I remember he had glasses...both of them did..." Scissors? She filed the information in the back of her mind for further musing later, turning back to the door.

"Is that all?" She waited a few moments for his reply.

"Yeah. I can't remember anything else, except my Mama jumping in front of me..." She didn't turn to see the look of anguish on his face, knowing somehow it was there.

"You should get some more sleep. I'll send someone to check back in on you later."

"Wait...Can you get sissy?" She turned over her shoulder to regard him strangely. Sissy?

"Um...Miss Victoria I think is what Sebastian called her." He clarified, and she seemed to understand.

"I don't think she's awake, but I can try."

"Thank you, Miss." She allowed the misnomer, leaving the room just as quietly as she'd entered. She had a lot of phone calls to make.

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Undertaker hadn't been all that miffed that he'd been left behind. He vanished before Ciel had come back up the stairs to pack before he left for the Hellsing manor, and had stayed safely out of the way since, still keeping watch from afar. Ciel was, after all, a bit precious to him, demon or not. He was, after all, the only thing left to hail the Phantomhive name by, even if he'd supposedly forsaken it himself. He was still Vincent Phantomhive's son, even if he was no longer human. Even if he'd turned into a monster, even if he'd been utterly corrupted by a curse placed on him by that demoness- he'd of been cursed either way, what with his demon contract, but still...

That's why Undertaker had given the former earl back his family ring, found among a corpse he'd been inspecting one day not twenty years after the earl had supposedly died. He'd been the one, of course, to fit the lord's coffin for the mock funeral, buried him six feet under, then dug him back up. He was, to his knowledge, the only person from Ciel's human life to know him as he was now, besides Sebastian, of course. But then, that wasn't the demon's real name, was it? No, Sebastian was, indeed, not quite as he appeared to be. But Undertaker cared not for the impassive older demon- the defiled Ciel was all he cared for, all he ever had between the two. After all, there was nothing left to go by but him- not a single heir to the Phantomhive name, not a single trace left to be found of them, except the ring, what was left of the mansion, and the now immortal Ciel Phantomhive himself.

But at least now he could have him forever.

The young earl had indeed been a precious thing to him, like a nephew almost. Well, that really wasn't too far off, all things considered. He wondered idly then, how much Ciel knew about his family. Not much, probably, since he was so young when Vincent died. He knew Ciel had never met his Grandmother, being as she died before he was even a thought. He recalled then that he had given the locket with his Grandmother's name on it to Ciel for safekeeping*, and never actually retreived it. He supposed he aught to do that, or Cloudia would never forgive him. But then, he supposed she'd be plenty angry at him for letting her grandson turn into a demon- but alas, he'd never quite know. She had been gone a long time now, so long that the short clip of her Cinematic Record he'd stolen and kept for his own purposes- held within that locket as it were- had probably begun to fade with age. Her soul had long gone on, but her memories had stayed; he'd made sure of it, sealing that clip, that happy clip from happier times, into a locket that he'd worn around his neck for a long time. But then his experiments with the dead** had gotten out of hand, and he'd given the locket with Cloudia's memories to Ciel, and somewhere in the last century had forgotten to retrieve it. Not for lack of thinking of it- no, his forgetfulness, he mused, was halfway intentional. He'd probably clung to that woman's memory like a leech for long enough, he mused. But then, he was much more immortal than she had been- such was the tragedy of their affair. Undertaker reminded Ciel all the time, even as a demon now- or rather especially because he was one- that he'd never know what he lost until it was too late. So far, Undertaker hadn't personally witnessed any greivance from the former Lord about the things he'd left behind- but he knew in time he would come to doubt and regret becoming what he was. Then again, it wasn't really the earl's fault he'd become a demon; still, that didn't stop Undertaker from feeling a slight bitter about it, even if the immortal child simultaneously intrigued him. After all, as a reaper, you sort of got the gyst that demons were your nemesis- Undertaker had to laugh quietly to himself. Who'd of imagined this is where he'd wind up after abandoning them? Siding with a demon child out of some sentimental obligation to a woman he'd tragically fallen in love with***, a woman who'd been dead some hundred forty years now, whilst he lived on. Truly, Immortality could be a curse as much as a blessing.

But even curses had their upsides. After all, were it not for his love for Cloudia, he never would have picked up the primary motivation for his experimentation. Still, he didn't fancy resurrecting his love as a demonic doll****, not that her body existed anymore anyway; still, if only he had something more...a way to hold her again...His heart ached for a moment, but he recovered himself. He still had Ciel, and to some degree he still had Vincent through the boy...not that he could be rightly called that anymore.

Undertaker sighed, perched in a tree just outside of the Hellsing manor's barrier. He knew as soon as he stepped through it, he'd be sensed by Sebastian, if not that curious vampire Alucard. Well, he mused, he supposed it didn't really matter how he felt about Ciel and Sebastian's unfortunate contracting predicament- though truly he'd of much preferred that it went as planned, if only to spare the boy the fate of being eternally stuck to such a terrible demon like Sebastian; but it didn't matter now. Soon enough, Sebastian would be put to the ultimate test of his character- and Undertaker, being of a particularly sappy disposition at the moment, supposed that he aught be the ones to pick up the peices of Ciel's shattered memories once the doomsday fell upon them. He knew from watching over the boy all these years that he'd already gotten a taste for what his companion really was as a person and a demon- but Undertaker knew better than to presume that a few instances amounted to anything more than slips of a mask; even if his Master was now a feind himself, Sebastian concealed much from him. Once more Undertaker sighed. It couldn't be helped- he would just have to find out the hard way.

Undertaker hopped down from the tree, coming to stand just before the barrier he could sense before him. _'Why, my young lord, I think you shall find yourself most challanged in this fight...and not as a gladiator, either. But have no fear- even if part of me hates you now for what you are, you are still all which I have left to remember my dearest Cloudia and your father by...even if you don't remember them, even if you don't want to, you still stand for much more than yourself in my eyes...These cursed eyes...'_

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 **Alright! Somewhat inconsistent chapter, but one that will be intrumental later. Now, ASTERISKS!**

 ***The locket:** _in the manga, and seen once in the anime I think, Undertaker is seen with a chain of memory-lockets, such as those given to family members of the deceased. The only name we see on the lockets is Cloudia P., which is Cloudia Phantomhive, AKA Vincent's mother, or Ciel and Lizzies (and Edward's, cuz apparently Lizzy had a brother) grandmother. There is some theory that he may also have a locket for Vincent as well, since the two seemed to be somewhat close (he cried- yes,_ _Undertaker_ _, cried at Vincent's funeral) or at least that Undertaker held Vincent in high regards. In the Manga, Undertaker and Ciel have a slightly different relationship, in which Undertaker seems somewhat protective of the earl- even if he's willing to use him as a living shield. (Sorry, you gots to read to figure out that one, no spoils here)_

 ****The experiments with the dead:** _In the manga, there's a whole arc practically dedicated to Undertaker and his experiments with the deceased- to breifly summarize: Undertaker abandoned the Reaper job (or was fired from it, hard to say) because he began to tamper with human life in an attempt to "see what happens beyond death", when a body is resurrected. However,resurrecting a body is one thing, but giving it a soul is another. Undertaker stole hundreds of Cinematic Records and pieced them together in an attempt to create a false soul, but failed to do so- he did, however, accidentally create a way to reanimate the dead as "Bizarre Dolls", which are effectively dead human puppets with fragmented Cinematic Records driving thier actions; however, as they have no souls of their own, they are apt to steal and consume other peoples, a bit like demons. (Can't beleive they didn't include that in the Anime, jeesh!)_

 *****in love with Cloudia?:** _This is just conjecture on my part, though there seems to be some history between them if he has her locket. And yes, I also conjected the part about her Cinematic Record, just because I needed a good backstory there._

 ******"demonic dolls":** _The "Bizarre Dolls" mentioned above._

 **Ok, Don't forget to REVIEW! And hopefully the peices will be falling into place next chapter...:3**


	14. Chapter 14

**Alright my lovelies...I regret to inform you there is maybe three chapters left. Maybe. Then its off to resume my poorly neglected Inuyasha fanfiction cuz I'm pretty sure my followers are about to kill me for that. 0w0. Apologies for the lateness, I've been sick and handling college stuff. Also, this chapter is REALLY LONG because I kept forgetting how much I wrote and just kept adding more day by day. But it goes a long way towards our conclusion as well! Yay(?)**

 **Yes, I'm getting bad about the lyric thing, but I listen to music as I write this, and some songs just fit. also, I received word that lyrics are, quote, "Illegal" in the FF community? Anybody got more info on that maybe? I is confused. 0.O This particular song just felt right for this. I don't know. I'm strange.**

 **Ok, ONWARDS!**

 **WARNINGS: Shit is heating to a boil. It will probably splatter, so mind your heartstrings. /3 In other words, ANGST. Detailed but probably poorly written** _ **lemons**_ **lie ahead. You are warned.**

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 **CH XIV**

 _ **You are the Moon**_

 _By The Hush Sound_

 _'''_

 _Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark,_

 _Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms;_

 _Darkness, Darkness, everywhere,_

 _Do you feel alone?_

 _The subtle grace of gravity,_

 _The heavy weight of stone;_

 _You don't see what you possess,_

 _A beauty calm and clear,_

 _It floods the sky and blurs the darkness like a chandelier;_

 _All the light that you possess_

 _Is skewed by lakes and seas;_

 _The shattered surface, so imperfect,_

 _Is all that you believe._

 _..._

 _I will bring a mirror,_

 _So perfect, so exact-_

 _So precise and so pristine,_

 _A perfect pane of glass;_

 _I will turn the mirror up to face the blackened sky-_

 _You will see your beauty every moment that you rise..._

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Seras spent the afternoon hanging out with Demitri, telling him stories from her days in the Orphanage, answering his questions about what was going to happen to him to the best of her abilities. After all, she really didn't know- she had a feeling Integra didn't either, all things considered. Demitri was just a boy, how much of a threat could he be? Sure, he was half demon, but he was just a child. He wasn't malicious, didn't like to fight, didn't bother anybody, and rarely left his room- really, what could they do to him? Seras paused her thoughts. She'd rather not think of the answer to that question. But then, what was she going to do with him, assuming Integra would allow her to care for the boy? He had no family, no home to go back to- he had nowhere else to go but here. Surely even Integra would be understanding of that? Seras sighed as she slumped down outside Demitri's door. She was tired after being awoken by Integra midday to soothe the apparently distraught boy. Clearly living with a vampire had made Demitri more trusting of her than of Integra, but she supposed that that was understandable. Seras took a deep breath out of habit. Part of her knew that her real battle taking care of him wouldn't be Integra, but Alucard, who was anything but child friendly. But she had confidence that she could change his mind, that he might come to accept the child over time.

Speaking of which...Her Master had made her an offer earlier that still had her wondering. Sure, sleeping with him sounded nice and all, but what would it do to them? He was like her mentor, like a teacher, and also...well, as much as she denied it, he was kind of like a father to her sometimes. Especially where the men of the manor whom sometimes flirted with her were concerned. Goodness, the man acted like an overprotective father if she even got within reaching distance of certain men, though given that she hadn't yet aquired the ability to read minds completely, she supposed she was right to trust her Master's judgement about them. Still...Her heart was all confused. She loved her Master, sure, but in what way? Would sex answer her questions or just confuse her more about it? She really wasn't sure. Seras replayed a list of things she knew she felt about him in her mind and lined up the feelings in her heart like the victims of a serial killer, but nothing seemed to click. Something had to be consistent between them, but she couldn't yet tell what- and she was scared that sleeping with him might either draw her eye to their similarities, or confuse her with even more differences than before. Still, he raised a point in saying that she'd never know for sure unless she did it...but the 'what if's ' her Master so loathed kept gnawing on her insides like a nasty rat, making her feel ill.

Then there was the matter of their demon company. She needed to interrogate Ciel yet, but hadn't a clue how to go about that- or how much time there'd be. She could sense something in the wind, odd as that sounded, that made the cold January air seem that much more chill. It was a strange feeling, one that made her more paranoid than ever. She could swear she heard the whisper of _death, death, die, die, die_ on the wind as it whipped past the panes of glass on the window even now. The feeling was downright eerie, and gave her a terrible bout of anxiety. Something in her told her someone was going to die soon, someone she knew personally. Not a great feeling to have while dwelling on more material thoughts. After all, she was probably imagining it for all she knew- Alucard didn't seem to be affected in the least, but then death had never phased the vampire before, so...

Seras sighed again as she stood. It was still early into the evening, barely twilight, but she knew Alucard was awake. Something, be it anxiety or determination, drove her to visit him then, her mind prioritizing things in a timely fashion. As Alucard had said, if she wanted to know, she'd just have to try. But could she? Could she will herself to do it? Without the influence of his bite? Was this what she really wanted? If not, would there still be time later to try again, or was this a one shot deal? She kept the questions turning in her mind like a carousel as she walked almost mindlessly to her own door, intent on at least mulling it over for another few sleepless minutes until she was otherwise forced to get up, probably by her Master himself. She really was tired, anyway, she mused with a yawn. But, of course, upon opening her door, she recalled with a sigh that nothing like this ever went her way.

"Where have you been?" Alucard drawled from where he sat on her bed. Perfect. Just peachy.

"Integra said Demitri was upset, and he wanted me. So, I went to see what was the matter and to help her calm him down. You gave the kid quite a fright, killing a demon in front of him."

"Actually, much to my dismay, it was Sebastian who delivered the final blow, per his Master's orders. But I too was ordered to kill him by Integra, and the demon was after the brat to begin with, so..."

"He's not a brat!" Seras snapped. She hadn't meant to, and clearly her Master hadn't been expecting it, but she ultimately regretted it when she seen him scowl at her almost menacingly.

"He's not your child, Seras." Well. That hadn't been what she was expecting him to say.

"I...I know that, but he hasn't gotten anyone! For all we know his mother died protecting him, and he can't very well go back where he came from-"

"Seras." Alucard interjected. He had an almost knowing look on his face. "I realise you lost everything yourself, and as such you are compelled to empathize with him. But he can not stay here. He'll be killed. Integra may not give the order, but one of the men will panic the moment he does anything suspicious. Humans do not trust others easily. Not these ones, anyway." She knew that when he said "others" he meant "Non humans".

"I know you care about the boy, but because of that, you need to see what is best for him. And that is not this place. Not at Hellsing." Seras looked up to her Master in shock. He was rarely this nice to her, or anybody. She felt her heart contract. He made a good point, but still...

"But...we could protect him, couldn't we, Master?" Seras asked quietly, her former mission temporarily forgotten. There was a long silence.

"Not forever, Seras. Not forever." Alucard said, voice quieter than usual. "Just as I will not always be able to protect you, either." He said after a moment, prompting Seras to lift her fallen head to look at him- only to find him right in front of her. She looked up at his face, looking into his exposed eyes (something she realised not many people had the priviledge of doing), or rather trying to look through them. She was so confused. Her heart hurt now on top of it all, and she just didn't know what to do anymore. She was tired, in more ways than one, and still there seemed so much she needed to do. To learn, to explore, to accomplish. And time, it would seem, was not on her side; she might live forever, but forever wasn't going to keep her from having to fight for real against demons she didn't know very soon- both the literal ones and those in her mind. She gasped when her Master's hand touched the crown of her head, smoothing her hair like a kitten. It was his trademark gesture of affection, one she admitted to appreciate. It brought a small, half hearted smile to her lips regardless.

"There's my Seras." He murmured, smoothing his hand down the back of her neck. She got the gyst, and reached up on her toes, hand touching his neck softly as she pulled him down effortlessly into a kiss. As she encouraged it to deepen, she took a startled note of how gentle he was being at the moment, which contrasted sharply with the way he'd kissed her before. It wasn't until she put some force into the kiss herself that he began to press harder, pulling her by the arm against him. She made a soft noise as his fingers wound into her hair, and obliged to return the gesture, which he seemed to appreciate before. Once more he made an approving sound as she tugged gently at his mane, liking the way it felt nestled between her fingers. Truly, his hair was the envy of any woman; soft, silky, and surprisingly warm. It felt good.

Once again he led her backwards to the bed, and she didn't resist when he, rather than she, laid back against it, allowing her to climb on top. It was admittedly a much less restrictive position, what with her being so much smaller than him. She felt him slide his hands up and down her sides, the gesture at first soothing, but which ultimately encouraged her to rock her hips a bit. She wasn't really touching him at this point, but that quickly changed when he suddenly gripped her hips and forced her to sit down on his lap once more with a blush. She allowed it, though, feeling a shock of arousal spike through her as she once again found herself straddling him. She resisted the voice in the back of her mind, trying to warn her of where this road was going. She'd never know...she may never know...she forced her mind into silence, focusing on feeling physically instead. He held her hips for a moment longer before using one hand to lift her shirt, letting his gloved fingers work over her abdomen and sides, coming up teasingly to touch just beneath her breasts. He suddenly released their kiss, which at some point had included their tongues, she realised belatedly, in favor of trailing rough, rather damp kisses along her jaw and neck, sucking lightly. She sighed, feeling herself begin to warm between her legs. He suddenly gripped one breast, squeezing harshly, but not overly painfully. She gasped as his other hand found her thigh, rubbing up and down it with a tender touch that made her shudder. He then held her waist, pulling her flush against him, and she felt his own body arch a bit beneath her. She blushed furiously, but hadn't much time to think on it as he sucked on her neck especially hard, nipping it lightly with his teeth. He put pressure on her hip, encouraging her to rock back, before roughly pulling her back up. She blushed maroon when she realised what he was trying to get her to do, but obliged his request out of her own need, grinding her hips down on his, and feeling all too well along the way a particular appendage that was quickly filling with blood in light of their activities. She felt the voice in the back of her head trying to put up a stop sign, to make her carefully question her next move, but frankly, she was tired of thinking. She repeated her action, grinding along that said appendage with her pelvis, teasing him in return. He growled in response, nipping her jaw with sharp teeth.

She sat up a moment, locking their lips once more, noticing that this kiss was far more violent than the last, bringing her hands up to tangle once more in his mane (when had she let go again?) feeling him buck under her as she pulled the strands by the fistfull, feeling his own grip on her waist and chest tighten. Part of her really wanted to move things along, but another part of her held back. Once clothes came off, there was no backing out. Not as far as her Master was concerned- she knew that. Yet, she still yearned for it, for him- and not just out of lust, either. She gasped when his hands found the buttons of her uniform, a bit of anxiety making her tremble. She'd never know, she told herself, if she didn't try.

She began to work on his own coat with shaking hands- she may not have been a virgin, but really, that didn't mean anything with Alucard. She could be a fully fledged whore- unsettling as the thought was- and still feel as nervous and meek as a lamb in front of a lion like Alucard. Her thoughts were accentuated by a rough thrust from under her, followed by a hard nip to her collarbone as he gradually undressed her. Seemed he was having no trouble taking his time.

 _ **"Would you prefer I do it faster?"**_ Her Master's voice startled her, but she hid it well behind her other nerves.

 _"N-no, Master...Just wasn't expecting this."_

 _ **"Expecting what? Me to take my time with you? As said, I can make it go much faster..."**_ As if to prove his point, his hand suddenly dove for her waistband, pulling it teasingly. She blushed furiously.

 _"No! No! It's fine! Go whatever pace you like!"_

 _ **"Hmf. The pace I'd like is one with you beneath me at present."**_ She turned crimson, blocking him from her mind. He only chuckled mischeviously, placing wet kisses on the hollow of her throat as he pulled her shirt down her shoulders. She relaxed, letting him slip it off behind her, and swallowed thickly when he unfastened her bra, letting his tongue trail down to the valley of her breasts before coming back up. Really, she'd always disliked being licked, but his cool tongue on her warming skin wasn't a half bad feeling. He sat up a bit, pushing her back with his hands as he devested himself of his coat, helping her struggling hands unbutton his undershirt before also throwing it off his shoulders. He brought her flush against him again, pressing their bare chests together as he pulled her legs around him. She resisted the nerves threatening to spoil the mood with all her might, gasping when he began sucking on her neck again. She was sure she'd have a hickey come later, but hoped her vampiric healing abilities made it dissappear fast. He once more chuckled against her skin, laving it with his tongue. She shuddered, and nearly jumped out of her skin when his hands once again found the waistband of her pants, tugging at them. She knew what he wanted, but...

Suddenly she found her hands copying him, unbuttoning his trousers. It wasn't fair if she was the only one to lose them, after all. He growled in a pleased manner, scooting her back to make it easier. She shook as she pulled on the zipper, sliding her hand inside almost curiously. She'd done this before, she reminded herself. _'true, but you've never done this with_ _ **him.**_ _'_ Her mental voice told her. She rolled her mental eyes at it, finding what she intended to and gripping him in her small fist. He was about the size she'd expected someone as tall as him to be, certainly bigger than anything she'd tried taking before. (then again, she'd only done this twice, and would frankly rather not think of either at the moment) but rather than scare her, the thought excited her that much more. She felt it's head through the silky-feeling undergarments he wore, rubbing over it with her thumb. She felt him tug at her waistband much more urgently, and had to take a steadying breath as she released him, pushing off of him a moment to wiggle out of her shorts. She took the underwear with them, figuring they were going to come off at some point anyway. He turned her to the side when she returned, straddling him once more. He wanted to flip positions.

She allowed it, stomach muscles taught with nerves. Clearly he sensed it, for he bent down to whisper in her ear, "Relax. Or it will hurt." She felt herself calm a bit at his reassurance, allowing him to straddle her without yet touching their bodies. He dismounted suddenly, and she was about to ask why when he pulled off what was left of his own clothes. She daren't let her eyes wander to his member, not wishing to make it awkward. Or to scare herself into backing out. There was no way she could, not now. He leaned over to kiss her feircely, grabbing her hips roughly and once more digging his thumbs into her pelvis in a way that excited her strangely. She threw her arms around his neck, not resisting when he gripped her by the crook of the knee and hooked both legs over his own hips, coming down to be flush with her. She pushed wildly against her past memories of this event, finding them far too frought with sadness and heartache.

 _ **"Just relax, Seras. I'll take the pain away for a while."**_

She arched off the bed with a start as his cool fingers began to play with the folds of her nethers, thumb circling her clit in a way that made her one hundred percent positive he'd had a _long_ time to get good at this. He chuckled in response to that thought, rubbing her harder, encouraging her to throw back her head with a groan. He seemed to know exactly how to rub her, a welcome change, and as soon as she felt her core begin to leak from the anticipation, he withdrew from her clit in favor of pressing at her entrance. She willed herself to stay relaxed as he slipped his finger inside, moving it in a tell-tale "hither to" motion, stimulating her nerves most pleasantly, enticing a moan as he wiggled faster. She gasped when he started adding fingers, feeling strange as he "scissored" her. It then occured to her to ask a question.

 _"Why are you being so gentle with me? It's not that I don't like it, I just...didn't take you for the type."_

 _ **"I can be many types of man should I wish to be. And true, I don't normally prefer this type of behavior. But it's been a long time since I had any, and I want to make it last. Just in case this turns out not to be a repeat thing."**_ The way he said it made it seem like he knew, somehow, it would be. He was probably right, Seras thought. But that didn't matter now.

Seras laid back more completely as he once more bent over her, covering her body with his as he removed his fingers smoothly. He repositioned her legs around his waist before reaching between them for his own self, rubbing the head over her clit a few times for good measure before positioning himself where he aught be. Seras squirmed a little bit as he pushed in, the pressure still not really comfortable. The pressure became mild pain as she stretched to accomodate his larger member, a distinct pin-prick like sensation forming around the outside of her entrance as he pushed in. In his defense, he did go pretty slowly, though she was positive his shaking frame was from restraint. He gave her maybe twenty seconds to adjust before pulling back, causing her to shudder at the sensation, before swiftly but shallowly thrusting back in. There was a sore kind of pain, but also a burst of numbing pleasure. He did it again, and again, the pleasure mounting. He began to thrust much harder after the first few rounds, inserting much deeper each time. Seras threw back her head with a nearly involuntary moan as he struck an especially sweet spot in her, and gasped as he raked his gloved nails hown her sides almost animalistically. _This_ is what she'd expected him to be like. Primal, agressive, rough. As though in reply to her thoughts, he bit her collarbone hard enough to draw blood, but didn't let his fangs linger long enough to feel the rush from the bite. Her dissappintment was quickly forgotten though as he began to thrust faster, grabbing her hips roughly to hold her still. Her hands tugged at his hair before finding their way to his back, clawing him as she arched off the bed when he hit on an especially good thrust. She felt him go faster, harder, and encouraged it with a sharp nip of her own to his jaw.

The pace hit a brutal note, and she felt herself lost in the sensations. She felt him shift to hit her at a slightly different angle, and felt the blinding pleasure as he struck just the right pose with his brutal thrusting, driving her to a pleasure she was confident she'd never had before at a fast rate. She felt herself climb, thrusting her own hips back to meet his before her body shook, and an indescribable but extremely stimulating pleasure shot like electricity from her nether regions up her abdomen. She felt herself jerk involuntarily for each rapid thrust after that, nerves overstimulated after what she assumed was a climax. It didn't stop until he thrust especially deep, almost painfully so, an she felt a sudden wet heat from deep within her. He thrust one or two more times, his...stuff, making for extra lubrication that led to more spine-tingling pleasure on her part. He didn't pull out right away, resting for a moment atop her, though he wasn't out of breath in the slightest. If Seras thought she was tired before, she was plain exhausted now, she realised. Sex had never been so much work before- but then, he was the same species she was this time, so it made sense.

He pulled out of her with a distinctive, almost sucking-like sensation, making her shudder. She could feel as he dismounted and lay beside her his "stuff" as she acknolwedged it by, oozing from her body and beginning to cool into the sticky, slimy goo it usually did after this happened. But she wasn't complaining just yet. She was far too tired for that.

"Rest for now. We can talk if you want when you wake. For now, try to sleep a bit."

"But Master-"

"I'll stay here to be sure you aren't disturbed. Now sleep." His voice was roughish, but she supposed he was probably at least a little tired after that, too.

"Lay with me. Then I'll do what you say." Seras murmured as she climbed up onto her pillow, lying face down. Sleep sounded nice. She felt his weight settle beside her, and scooted to keep skin-contact with him, as though if she didn't literally keep in touch with him that he'd vanish without warning.

"Go to sleep, Seras." He comanded. She yawned, nuzzling the pillow.

"Goodnight, Master."

"...Goodnight, Seras."

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Alistar sighed when he felt the presence of the former reaper his Master's had employed. Well, if you could call them 'Masters'. They largely left him in particular alone, as did most people, though he'd never really defied either of them. He could, if he wanted to, but where was the benefit? At least here, he had shelter to keep him out of the rain, and someone to fall back on if he got himself stuck. Which was a rare thing to happen, but maybe it was precisely because of that that the pickles he usually got himself into happened to be really big, ugly, messy ones. It paid then, to stay in the good graces of Sebastian and Ciel. If worse came to worse, he could turn around and pin the blame on them- which wouldn't be a lie, depending on the kind of situation he was in.

"What do you want now, creep?" He addressed the Undertaker as he entered the now mostly barren room, which had once been a guest room. Alistar lie where he usually was- on the windowsil, resting without really sleeping in the moonlight, which made his pale countenance seem to glow ethereally.

"Ciel sent me a letter just this morning, telling me to fetch you. Apparently, your area of expertise is needed, though for what he wouldn't say." Alistar turned one red, hazy eye to the creepy man, regarding him with mild interest.

"So, Felix did betray us. I sort of figured, what with how he dissappeared that night. Hasn't come back since, either. Serves 'im right." Alistar said with a light huff. "So, who got it?"

"One of the vampires, methinks, but I can't say for sure. If a human were hit though, your help wouldn't do too much for 'em now, would it?"

"No. Felix's venom is too strong. Vampires, eh? Not something I've worked with before..." Alistar sat up then, stretching his back like a cat. "But I suppose even I need a challange from time to time." The demon turned to look at Undertaker then, studying the old man. He was missing his tophat, and seemed to have a strange air around him. But then, he always did smell a little odd to him. Still, something else was missing...

"Well, where are they?"

"Still at Hellsing Manor. Haven't left but once, to feed- and that was the night Felix attacked."

"Who was he going after?"

"Actually, there's something odd about that." Alistar quirked a delicate brow at this, urging the man to continue. He had to admit that though he found the former reaper quite annoying, what with the way he liked to interrupt his rest, the man was a good conversationalist, one that sometimes (much to his frustration) sought out the demon purely for what seemed the sake of company with which to babble his senseless, mostly human, jargon; Ciel did the same thing on rare nights- Alistar supposed it was his own quiet repose that made him a popular victim for the talkative ones.

"But, of course-"

"Yes, I know, you don't give away information for free." Alistar rolled his eyes slightly at the man's ridiculous quirks. Then again, he supposed he was not much better, not among demon-kind anyway.

"You know I'm terrible with jokes, even more so with the undignified poses you sometimes require of folk. Couldn't you just ask for something else? Something that, oh, I don't know, maybe is a little less embarrassing?" Undertaker chuckled at Alistar as he whined, working on memorizing this strange white demon's "pouting face", which was quite entertaining unto itself.

"I won't make any guaruntees about that if it's an exchange you're offering. I can think of a good many things I could exchange my typical methods for- none of which are any less shameful, I assure you. But then, as you are a demon..."

"Oh, never mind it then. You're annoying me." Alistar huffed, crossing his arms behind his head and settling back into the windowsil. "I don't suppose you have a time scheduled for my arrival?"

"No, but I imagine sooner be better than later." Undertaker said with his usual grin, chuckling lightly at the demon before him. An interesting creature, Alistar was. Not like most demons in any type of regard- he healed more than he hurt, seemed to prefer the truth to the lies that shrouded most of his kin, and though he was really a lazy lump on a log most the time, he was much wiser and far more knowledgeble of what was occuring where, when, and how, than most people might be inclined to give the introverted creature credit for.

"Fine." Alistar said with a sigh, once more sitting up from his comfy position in the sil. He actually stepped out of it this time, something Undertaker had rarely seen him do. "Then I guess I shouldn't waste too much time. Who knows how long a vampire will last with poison like that in him? Still, I hate to go in unprepared." He gave Undertaker a sidelong glance.

"You know my price, demon." Undertaker grinned mischeiviously.

"Well, then how about we go about this from a different angle, shall we?" Undertaker's grin faltered swiftly as a too-obviously fake one graced Alistar's own fine, porcelin features. He really did look almost like a doll, though his features were a bit too pointed for that. Still, he was a beautiful creature, almost faerie or maybe even elven-like, the latter of which was further accentuated by his pointed ears, one of which Undertaker noticed for the first time, had a ring pierced into the shell of it from the top of his ear- a small little thing, it was gold, much like so many other minor highlights of the demon's attire. Undertaker had to wonder why that was- demon's colors were typically black, red, blue and silver, from what he'd seen. But then he hadn't seen much; still, it seemed strange to even Sebastian that this silver and white demon chose such a bright color scheme. A, dare he think it, _angelic_ , color scheme. It was certainly suspicious.

"Before you go about that, might I make a proposition?" Undertaker said as Alistar began to encroach on his space, fake smile telling of most unfortunate things for him, if he were to guess. His words managed to stop him though, causing the odd demon to look at him expectantly.

"And that might be?"

"Well, I'll tell you one thing if you tell me another, so to speak." Alistar's ruby eyes hardened apprehensively before he closed them with a sigh. "Fine. What is it that's got you so curious?"

"Why, your choice of attire, as it were." Alistar's eyes opened abruptly at this, and he gazed at Undertaker with a piercing stare. He eventually sighed again, though, closing his eyes in thought.

"My attire, huh? I admit, you're the first to ask about that, despite the fact that I know Sebastian holds me in quite the suspicious light for it. Maybe rightly so." He turned then, back to the window, looking to the evening sky as if searching for answers himself.

"I was given this attire by someone who was precious to me. He died long ago, I'm afraid, but he left this behind in his will. Told me before his untimely end that It would suit me well. So far he hasn't been wrong." Undertaker nodded in understanding.

"Was this person human?" Undertaker asked. A long silence followed his question before Alistar replied in a vacant tone, "Yes. He was." Undertaker processed the information for a moment before replying.

"I once loved a human as well. She was the Grandmother of the very young demon you follow, actually." He offered quietly, causing Alistar to at least turn to look at him. "I'm not tryin' to be all sentimental and such, understand, just voicin' me thoughts." Undertaker clarified after a moment. Another long silence followed before Alistar turned back to Undertaker, eyes cool, but not frigid.

"Thank you." He said, offering a shallow bow at the shoulder. The action, seeming so genuine for once, startled Undertaker. He'd never been personally, _sincerely_ thanked by a demon before. While strange, it made him smile more genuinely than he had in a long while.

"Yer quite welcome. Now, I suppose it be my turn to divy out the dividends, neh?"

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Alistar arrived towards midnight, greeted at the gates of Hellsing by Sebastian himself, likely to prevent the guard from mistaking him for an intruder. Sebastian nodded his head in acknowledgment as he walked up to the gate, waving a dismissive hand at the guard, who were...well, on guard. Alistar bowed at the waist before the tall, black demon, neither saying a word. There came a point where words were not needed, and like animals, demons were perfectly capable of understanding each other through little more than body language. After all, talk was both cheap and mostly a human invention (though make no mistake, there were some... vocal, demons out there...).

Alistar said nothing as he was lead through the gate, silently observing the blotches of white that still held against the daytime weather, now refreezing back into ice where it'd melted before in the chill of the night. They weren't stopped, though a few humans turned from a gun drill to the side of the path to regard Alistar warily. The impassive demon ignored them, hoping to be ignored in kind, and followed Sebastian through the large, wooden doors. On the other side was a dim and really rather dull foyer, though the woman standing at the center of it was anything but.

"I presume this is the demon Alistar?" The woman asked in an authorative tone. ' _Ah, she must be the Hellsing woman.'_

"Yes, pleasure to aquaint." Alistar replied, offering a shallow bow. She seemed to regard him skeptically, but he was well and truly used to it by now.

"Indeed. I'm not sure how much you've been filled in on what's happened, but Alucard seems to have healed on his own- at any rate, he's not going to let you give him medicine. Still, a check-up might be in order; he has a prepensity to lie when he is unwell." Alistar nodded.

"I see. Well, if I'd of been told that much, I'd of stayed in my windowsil." He murmured before clearing his throat. "Well, in any case, it's as you say- better to be safe than sorry with something like this. I didn't bring any major supplies with me anyhow, so I suppose it's good that he's not on his deathbed...or, whatever you'd call that." Alistar stated boredly, sighing.

"Alright. I'll show you to his quarters."

The Hellsing woman led him downstairs to the basement, showing him to a steel plated door.

"For fututre reference, you should always knock on his door. Alucard does not usually like to be disturbed, and I won't pity you for losing your head if you waltz in unannounced." She said, ragarding him sternly.

"That makes two of us." He muttered. She eyed him icicly. "About not liking to be disturbed, that is. I'm only here because I was asked to be and because I respect those above me." Alistar clarified, gaze never leaving the door. He heard the woman sigh beside him before lifting her small hand to knock on the door with three hollow booms. There was a long pause at the door, but before the woman lost her patience it suddenly opened, swinging in slightly but not opening completely.

"Watch yourself." Was all she said to him, silently gesturing to the open door. He supposed he aught let himself inside, pushing the heavy door aside with a creaking noise that echoed in the dark room.

"Alucard, this is Alistar. Ciel sent for him after you were poisoned. Even though you're mostly healed now, I still want him to take a look at you. We've never had any experiences with this kind of weapon, so I am being cautious. You are not to give him any trouble, and to do as you are asked. Am I understood?" The woman commanded into the dark, and Alistar had to resist a smirk at the thought that she likely could not actually see the figure presiding upon his throne-like chair at the back of the small room.

"Hm." The figure, likely Alucard, hummed in dissaproval.

"Do I need to make it an order?" She threatened.

"No." He replied simply after a moment that seemed to say that she might.

"Very good. Then I leave him to you- and Alucard," She turned to the door, keeping her eyes over her shoulder as she did so. "If I hear either of your guns going off, you had better have a _damn_ good reason for it." She glared at the darkness intimidatingly before turning and stalking away back up the stairs they'd come down. Alistar turned back to the room, sighing. This might prove more trouble than it was worth.

"You're a tad late, aren't you?" Alucard drawled sarcastically. Alistar tried to get a read of his character as quickly as possible, thinking of how best to interact with this thing in case it proved dangerous.

"Only fashionably. Besides, no one told me it was urgent. I figured you'd be fine."

"What sort of doctor makes those kinds of assumptions?"

"I'm not a doctor, only a healer. Doctors use technology and tools; healers use auras, magic, and herbs. I can use medical technology if I must, but I prefer the old fashioned way. It typically works better on demons anyway."

"I'm going to guess you've never had a vampire clientel?"

"No, this would be my first. Though I'm really not that interested in your kind, as it were; I am doing this as a favor to my superiors."

"I rather assumed demons weren't the kind to do favors." Alucard grinned, mocking him.

"They aren't." Was all he said, and all he would say. The response did not seem to please the vampire, for his grin faltered.

"You're no fun." Alucard pouted, slumping on his throne.

"I don't try to be. Not my job to entertain you, in any case." Alistar sassed as he came further into the room. Alucard seemed to be the bully type, he mused. Not much of a threat, but an annoyance nonetheless.

"I won't have to do much, just check the wound site and make sure you can still move normally. The neurotoxic effects of Felix's venom can linger a time."

"I noticed that the other day, but it seems to have worn off by now. I feel perfectly fine." Alistar studied the vampire a moment, trying to sense a lie.

"If that is what you will say, who am I to argue?" Alistar said after a moment, shrugging. He stopped just before the throne, keeping a few meters distance out of consideration more than anything.

"I'll need you to show me the wound, unmodified, if you will. If there's a scar, I'll need to see it."

"Tsk. Fine."

Alucard begrudgingly did as asked, removing his coat and shirts. There was a dark, purplish mark, akin to a bruise, where he'd been struck, a few odd threads of blackish blood vessels extending from the wound here and there, but all in all it didn't appear too bad, Alistar mused to himself.

"Not too bad, considering what his venom can do." Alistar commented, reaching into his coat pocket for a small vial. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to be in this good of shape. But then, I suppose I don't know much about vampires." He said with a shrug, approaching the vampire where he sat at the edge of his throne, handing him the vial.

"Put that on the wound; I don't know how well it will work, since you aren't a demon, but it should make all the bruising dissappear."

"It doesn't hurt- the bruises."

"Even so, the damage remains. Whether you feel the pain or not is irrelevant- your body is still injured. Place the contents of the vial on the wound, a few drops at a time. Within an hour, all marks should vanish." Alistar said frankly, gesturing to the wound. "Now, I have been informed you are able to shape-shift. I would like to see how well you are able to do that before you apply the serum. Felix's venom interfere's with the energy channels in the body, rendering his victims unable to change forms or use their energy against him once bitten."

"Use their energy?" Alucard inquired.

"Yes. All things possess energy, though in different forms. This energy circulates your body like blood, and in fact your blood vessels are an important part of your energy system. Destroy one's blood, and you detroy crucial parts of the energy circulatory system. This isn't all of it, though."

"What exactly is this 'energy?'"

"Hm...I guess you could explain it as the electrical impulses in your muscles and brain, but its more complicated than that. Much more."

"I see...so, what does demon energy do?" Alucard asked. Alistar eyed him warily.

"You're going to make me explain it, aren't you?" Alistar huffed. Alucard's grin said it all.

"Fine. But it's just because I'm bored." Alistar stated with a sigh. "Demon energy is a little different from other kinds of are two forms of energy- physical and spiritual. Physical energy is as I described- comprised of electrical impulses. Spiritual energy, though, is different."

"Spiritual energy is something only humans and celestial beings possess, theoretically, as this is energy produced by the soul. You could call it the 'substance of the soul', but this wouldn't be entirely accurate, because you can siphon someone's energy without damaging their soul, and consequently can extract a person's soul without ever touching their spirit energy."

"So, demon's don't have souls?" Alucard asked, wicked smile gracing his long face.

"Not so. Demons do have souls- just in a more primative sense. The soul doesn't fully form until you are X years of age, and experienced certain things. Call them 'checkpoints' if you will. A soul that has not experienced these things is not considered a complete or full soul. Its funny, actually, that these things are as simple as they are, yet demons can not experience them. Well, not all demons can. Soul-eating demons, no- flesh-eating demons, sometimes."

"And what are these 'ingredients of the soul', as it were?"

"'ingredients', huh? Never really thought of it that way, but I guess that's right. To fully form a soul, a person has to have experienced love, loss, peace, charity, unsettlement or change, and sorrow. A human who's never experienced these things can't really be called human- at least, that's how I view it. However, I should duly note that you do not have to necessarily have felt these things in order for it to work. As long as you can acknowledge and deeply recognise that someone else loves you, needs you, grieves your absence, finds peace among your presence, is changed by or is sorrowful as a result of your actions, your soul may become passable. After all, not all humans can feel things like the above stated for vairious reasons. But, neither can demons." Alistar rambled. It wasn't often he spoke so much. "Demons lack the ability to recognise other's needs and to place them above their own. Even human psychopaths can do this if they are prompted to*, but demons have no way of being 'charitable' as it were. Soul-eaters can not feel compassion or love, and while they can feel something akin to greif, they can never experience sorrow on the same emotional level as a human can. Peace is also not something demons even have a conscientious awareness of, and changing the understanding of a demon is extremely difficult. They are hardwired to develop souls to a point, but once that point is reached, they stop, and can not go on."

"You sound like you are a human, for a demon." Alucard remarked skeptically. Alistar shrugged. "You also seem to know a lot about souls- I've never taken that much interest in my food before, personally."

"Well, we all have our hobbies, don't we?" Alistar said with a small smile.

"So...out of curiousity, what happens to humans with incomplete souls?"

"You mean when they die? Hm...Good question. I heard that some of them get turned into angels, depending on the circumstances. Some are also turned into demons. Others become reapers, if they died by suicide. Others I hear are placed in a dream-like world where there soul can mature before it leaves them- hence the purpose of some comas." Alistar shrugged again. "But I don't know for sure. After all, I'm not an angel or a reaper. I don't determine the fate of a soul."

"But you certainly seem to know a lot about them. Seems quite strange, to me." Alucard stated, skepticism lacing his tone as he smiled like a fox.

"Well, I've been around a long time. Not quite as long as Sebastian, but plently long enough."

"I see."

"Enough questions. I still need to see you transform." Alucard 'tsk'-ed, but did as asked, forming his energy around him in a dark, swirling mass before transforming himself into his female form.

"Not bad. Any trouble?"

"No." Alucard replied, and Alistar had to admit it was a bit creepy to hear such a masculine voice come out of such a feminine character.

"Good. You can change back, if you want."

"Why? Does this form unsettle you?" Alucard grinned like a cheshire cat.

"No, not really. I've seen worse."

"Oh? What of?"

"None of your business, in all honesty." Alistar glared when the vampire laughed.

"Are we done here, or do you have any more annoying questions?"

"Quite the sassy one, aren't you?"

"If I find I must be. You'll find it a common trait of demons."

"So I've noticed." Alucard said with distaste. "But I don't think I have anything left to ask you, no. Not at the time, anyway."

"Then might I take my leave? I am sure your Master will be waiting for an update on your condition."

"And what of your own?" The question threw Alistar off guard.

"I don't really consider Ciel or Sebastian 'Masters'. They can't really control me, since I'm so old, and Sebstian and I have a...mutual understanding, so to speak. We live in the same territory, but mostly ignore one another. He goes his way, I go mine."

"Yet he makes it seem as if he can command you."

"He can ask me to do things, but I am old enough and powerful enough to pose a bit of a challange for him should we have to duel; however, since I dislike conflict, I usually do what he says unless someone else fits the bill better. However, I should note that Sebsatian is the kind of demon to say something like that. He thinks he is practically undefeatable and thusly that all should obey him for his power. But I would disagree."

"Oh?"

"He may have strength, but therein is his fault; once one becomes big enough, all else looks to be smaller than you are, even if, in reality, that small thing packs a deadly punch. A bullet ant looks small to a human, but one sting can send the most macho of men to his knees with pain. An arum berry looks cute, small and bright like a cherry, but one drop of poison will make the most sane of men claw their own throats and tongues out **; a spider is completely helpless against a human shoe, but one bite can kill them within minutes. As a few examples."

"Indeed- in that we are agreed. Humans are defenseless against something like a nosferatu by themselves- but give them a gun with the right bullet, and they can decimate their nemesis."

"The right bullet, neh? Well, I guess that's one way to put it." Alucard's face changed then, as if he suddenly understood something.

"Well, then I'll be taking my leave then." Alistar said, bowing shallowly. He turned then, and was not stopped as he exited the chamber, leaving a thoughtful Alucard alone in the room.

"...The right bullet...Yes, we just haven't found the right bullet yet..."

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A sudden commotion from upstairs woke Seras from her nap. She shot up from her bed, half-aware she'd miraculously dressed, phasing through the floors at top speed, her Master just behind her. She was half-aware of their energies colliding and coiling around each other as they went along, and noticed suddenly something being placed in her hand. As they materialised on the first floor, she looked down to find he'd handed her Harkkonen. She'd forgotten it in her haste. Looking to her Master, she seen he'd been caught unprepared, for he was missing both his glasses and his fedora, and held the Jackal, rather than Casull, in his hand.

"What's going on?" She asked quickly.

"Intruder. Creating quite a mess of things from what I can tell."

"What kind of intruder?"

"Seems like a vampire this time, or rather _vampiress,_ but I'm not entirely sure as yet. Shall we go and determine for ourselves?" Seras nodded.

"Where?"

"Seems they're keeping her at bay outside the manor. Let's go." And with that, Alucard took off for the door, phasing through it as if it weren't there, with Seras on his heels. The target was indeed a woman, with massive blonde curls and a very outdated dress. She held in both hands what appeared to be swords, and was deflecting bullets left and right, leaping about like a gymnast across the front lawn of the manor. She jumped upwards suddenly, coming down upon one of the men with a fatal strike as his cartridge suddenly ran out of ammo. Taking advantage of the proximity, she rapidly struck at any man within reach, felling six more before another rain of bullets drove her back.

Seras wasted no time taking position, as did Alucard, who, in his usual style, ran right into the middle of the conflict, unconcerned about being struck by the hailing fire. He fired several shots at the intruder, but she managed to deflect the bullets with ease, bounding like a rabbit to the side abruptly, eyes looking for something- or someone.

"You know, it's wise to watch where your enemy is, especially when you're outnumbered." Alucard said, catching up to her with ease. She seemed surprised by his speed, turning to regard him with wide, wary eyes, yet she seemed unafraid of him. She struck at him with one sword, aiming for his gun with the other. She managed to sever his arm and pierce his heart at the same time; an impressive feat of swordsmanship if he had to say so. She wasted no time, ducking as he made to strike her with his uninjured arm, flinging the gun away some distance, happening to strike a soldier on the head with the heavy artillery in the process.

"Alucard!" Seras called suddenly, and the vampiress's head snapped in her direction with a look that Alucard decidedly did not like. Nontheless,he moved out of the way as she fired Harkkonnen-

and missed.

Alucard could only recover from his surprise, for Seras was a known expert marksman, for a second before the vampiress darted with shocking speed directly at Seras, effortlessly cutting down anyone in her path, contrary to her dance earlier, which had apparently been just that- a show.

"Seras!" It was Integra's voice calling now as she seemed to understand something Alucard did not at that moment- until Seras once more fired Harkkonnen, by which time the vampiress was too close for anyone to aim accurately, even Seras. The blonde vampiress kicked down hard on the weapon, slashing at Seras visciously with her twin swords***. Seras reacted immediately, abandoning Harkkonnen in favor of defending herself. She held out against the swords fairly well as they both danced their way back toward the entrance of the manor, and Alucard realised with a start that she was playing into the trap.

Or so he thought.

The vampiress suddenly jumped over Seras, landing so close behind her that she could not effectively turn in time to avoid one sword shoved straight through her forearm, elliciting a cry of rage more than pain, as the other came up to pin her back against the other vampiress by the throat, the sharp blade smelling distictly of silver- the little bitch had made a sword she could kill her own kind with. _'Either very smart or very stupid.'_ Seras thought. She could always phase through it, but a sudden stabbing, burning pain in her back halted all thought. _Fuck_ that hurt.

"Demon blood has an interesting effect on vampires, no?" The vamiress cooed in a too-sweet voice. Seras paled with shock. Had she been injected with something? She suddenly felt woozy, making her relax almost to the point of collapse, forcing her throat onto the sword so it drawed blood. Alucard came before the two, gun ready, but something in the eyes of Seras's captor stopped him. She wanted a negotiation.

"What the devil is going on-" Ciel's voice suddenly bellowed from the entrance, where he appeared suddenly, but all sound, all thought, all facial expression halted abruptly once he seen the intruder. Everything else around them seemed to halt abruptly also as the demon appeared, with Sebastian following close behind. He too, regarded the intruder with surprise.

"L...Lizzy?"

The vampiress whipped her head to look at the demon, a storm of emotions clouding her eyes as soon as they set upon him. ' _They know each other?'_

"Ciel." The vampiress said softly before clearing her throat, shaking the cloudy emotions from her eyes. "It has been a long time, darling." ' _Darling?'_

"Lizzy...Elizabeth...You...You're..." Ciel seemed incapable of coherent speech as shock adorned his features as if stuck there.

"I know. I'm...different, now. Guess we both are, huh?" She said with a sad sort of smile, for the time ignoring Alucard. There were a few moments of silence before Alucard heard a gun cock from somewhere. The noise seemed to snap Ciel out of it as he shook his head.

"Don't fire!" He said, much to everyone's surprise. He held up his arms for emphasis. "Don't fire yet!"

"What the hell is going on, demon?!" Integra bellowed, coming to stand before all five of them.

"She...well, she was-"

"His Fiance." The vampiress filled in. Stunned looks, Alucard's included, gazed at her for a long moment before she continued. "He was supposed to be my husband..." The vampiress, Lizzy, said, eyes downcast. Alucard looked to Seras, finding her own eyes to be clouded. Something was wrong with her.

"Lizzy, that was-"

"When we were human, I know. But neither of us are anymore, are we?" Lizzy said sadly. She sighed. "I wish things were different. I really do. Why? How? You- you're a demon somehow, right?" Ciel's expression hardened.

"Yes. I am. And you are-"

"A vampire. Yes, I know. As for how I came to be this way- well, I was supposed to die, but then some woman came up to me and bit me. It was only a few years after you...well, after I thought you had died, too. But I guess we both got cheated out of that, didn't we?"

"Elizabeth..."

"No, it's fine now. I've been this way a while. I've come to terms with it. With us." She said, gaze forlorn.

"The question is, how did you know he was a demon?" Sebastian interjected, now eyeing her suspiciously. She looked at him then, a strange expression crossing her features.

"You...you were never human all along, were you, Sebastian?" The older demon closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "No. I have been a demon since birth, I'm afraid."

"I see..."

"Lizzy...How did you know-"

"I knew when I seen you passing in france once; that you couldn't be human anymore. I didn't want to scare you, so I left you alone, even though I thought you were what I was then. But after following you around for a day or two, a strange man in red came and told me you'd become a demon, though he wouldn't say how."

"A man in red?" Integra asked. Lizzy turned to regard her coldly, but curiously.

"Mhm. Had a chainsaw with him too, which was weird. Wouldn't tell me what he was either, but he didn't smell human. I think I met him a few times in my human life, since he looked familiar, but its hard to say anymore." Alucard looked up to find Ciel and Sebastian exchanging knowing glances.

"Do you know this man's name?" Integra asked. It was not Lizzy who answered this time, though, but Ciel.

"His name is Grell Sutcliff. He's an...old aquaintance, of ours." Ciel stated with a humorless smirk. Integra looked up at the two with surprise.

"Is he your ally?" Alucard inquired.

"No. Most certainly not, though he can be surprisingly useful sometimes." Sebastain said with clear distaste, gloved hand running over his chin.

"Grell..." Lizzy ran over the name in her mind before turning back to Integra. "Why do you want to know?"

"...Demitri said he was attacked by a man fitting that description."

"Demitri?" Lizzy quirked a brow before an almost annoyed expression crossed her face. "So this is where he's been hiding, huh? Didn't expect that one." She huffed.

"You know Demitri?" Ciel asked incredulously, an expression akin to dread pooling deep in his eye, though there was a film of what looked like foreknowledge floating in his monocular cerulian gaze.

"Sure I do, since he ran away from me. A right brat he is. Not cute at all." Lizzy pouted for a moment, and Ciel was left to recall a foggy memory from his human times of her and him twirling about in some forgotten ballroom, her green eyes shining. Of course, her eyes were no longer green now, but a deep maroon color that betrayed her inhumanity.

"Lizzy...No, Elizabeth." Ciel addressed her with a grave tone now, making her look up to him with a wary expression. "Tell me- who's side are you on here?" The question seemed to shock Sebastian, who looked at his master as if he'd gone mad, more than it did Elizabeth, and after a moment the vampiress closed her pretty red eyes, still so doll-like, sighing.

"I figured you would say something like that," She replied, opening her eyes once more to regard Ciel with a soft, almost pained expression. "And I have no easy answers for you. I...there's no easy way to say this, but I have ties on both sides. On one hand, I have you- oh, my dear Ciel...If I had known we would have met again like this I would have come dressed better." She joked lightly. "You are still a very important person to me, you know? I never forgot about my promise to make you happy...but I guess I sort of failed to deliver on that promise, didn't I? And now you are beyond my reach...It's really kind of tragic, the way we turned out." Ciel listened with an unreadable expression, but watching on, Alucard got a sense that he felt conflicted. He kept his gun pointed stoutly at Elizabeth, but made a mental note to his arm that it may need to change targets if this got out of hand.

"Elizabeth, I...I can't pretend to really understand the way you feel right now; my heart hasn't known those feelings for a very long time now. But I can understand that...for reasons I can't really explain, I don't want you to die here." All eyes looked to Ciel once more, except for the half-conscious Seras, and Alucard felt his body tense as if to react. The situation was becoming more and more unpredictable by the moment; normally, this should have excited him, but with his fledgling lying limp against the vampiress before him, he admittedly found it hard to find it all that thrilling. What he found even less thrilling was that he really wasn't sure _why._

"Ciel-"

"However," The demon interjeted, coming down the stairs with his head held high, Sebastian following him without command. "If it comes to that, then you know- we both know, that I will not hesitate. Nor should you expect any one of these men, who's home you have intruded upon and who's figurative brethren you have killed, to hesitate. I can not stop them, and I will not." Elizabeth's eyes widened with surprise briefly before she smirked. "I sort of figured you would say that, too. Always such a cold person; forgive me if it sounds rude, but demon-hood really rather suits you." Her smirk widened inhumanly, and all thoughts of that fragile, innocent girl he knew as a mortal flew out the window for the first time in this conversation, and he regarded her for the first time as what she really was now- a vampire.

"I can't say the same, sadly." Ciel commented. "Regardless, I think it would be in your best interests to tell us why exactly you are here, and why you've sought it fit to presumably poison and hold hostage to poor Miss Victoria." Ciel let on a smirk of his own that swam with mischeif, encouraging Alucard to sport one of a similar sort as he reared his voice from the shrill sound of silence surrounding them like death itself, making the heartbeats of all humans present collide wiith each other to the vampire's ears like a low, yet furious static.

"Yes, indeed, why hold my Childe hostage?" Alucard inquired sardonically. Elizabeth merely turned to him with a smile that had the older vampire losing his.

"That should be obvious enough, Alucard. We both know what can happen to a vampire that watches their Childe die. You may not follow all the same rules as the rest of our kind, but even you would be swayed by the death of that which you so rarely hold precious to you- and she must mean quite a lot, if her smell is any indication." Elizabeth mocked, and Ciel once more found himself pushing the thoughts, however vague, of the woman he once knew from his mind. This was no longer the Elizabeth he had known so long ago. She had been corrupted now, tainted by the night. No, she was not Lizzy anymore. She hadn't been since she was turned, most likely. And yet for reasons unknown, his mind just didn't want to let go of those images of them, twirling and spinning in the ballroom...It was as if there was something missing from those memories, something he'd forgotten in them. Something he almost- dare he think it- longed for. Longed to remember.

"So you are with the enemy- well, that makes figuring out what to do with you fairly easy." Alucard sneered. " However, I don't believe you answered your past-life sweetheart's questions. What do you want now?" Alucard said, a childish sort of annoyance gracing his tone.

"What do I want? What a presumptuous thing to say. I want nothing but for this whole mess to be absolved, but you and your masters are intent on getting in the way of that, and now you've gone and gotten Ciel and Sebastian involved as well, which adds a whole other level of complicated to this whole situation!" Elizabeth ranted dramatically. Alucard quirked an impatient brow.

"And what mess might this be?"

"I'm at no liberty to tell you that, even if you are a king."

"And whyever not? You know what will happen to you if you don't." As if to accentuate his response, he cocked the Jackal, perfecting his aim. "Dodge a bullet you may, but not with dead weight attatched to you."

"And how do you know I wouldn't use her as a shield?" Elizabeth countered.

"I don't." Alucard replied with a shrug, earning a shocked expression from the vampiress.

"You can't expect me to believe you would willingly sacrifice your own Childe just to kill me?" Alucard's grin widened.

"How might you suppose she came to be as she is in the first place?"

Elizabeth's shocked expression grew as Sebastian suddenly appeared behind her, effectively trapping her between the two people she was expressly told to avoid confronting. _Shit._ "You also seemed to have forgotten, Miss Elizabeth, that he is not the only one trying to kill you here. I can't say I would enjoy the act as much as usual, but I don't need an order from my Master to do as I know he would bid me otherwise." Sebastian said, and she could feel his hand just barely caress the back of her neck, the tender touch threatening. "I do not feel intimidated by the bullet in that chamber, either, so it does not especially phase me to know he would shoot through all three of us. Thus, I shall not move, even if he does fire." Elizabeth felt a chill of genuine fear creep down her spine as she thought of how to best to escape this situation. But, as usual, Sebastian beat her at her own thoughts, despite not being the one able to read minds. "Your only option here is to talk yourself out- and hope that whatever you say does not spell your demise." She knew somehow the demon was smiling behind her, and spared a wary glance at Ciel, who returned her gaze impassively. But this sort of aloofness was different from before. His expression didn't have the human emotion in it anymore, so it looked almost...predatory.

"Well...Chances are likely I am going to die either way, right?" She tore her gaze from Ciel in favor of looking down at the now unconscious Seras in her arms. "I wonder..." She muttered quietly, feeling a horrible pang of both anxiety and heartache simultaneously as she thought of her own Fledgling. She looked back up at Alucard then, looking him dead in the eye. He was surprised by the boldness of the gesture, but didn't let it show outwardly.

"Alucard...I'll make a deal with you." This time he was less inclined to hide his surprise, noticing the way Sebastian's gaze became something unreadable but decidedly intrigued. "If I tell you who's doing this and why...If you wind up killing me as I suspect you might, then you have to promise me something." Alucard's gaze became skeptical and somewhat angry at the same time.

"And why should I do that?"

"Common interest...sort of." She once more looked down at Seras, and her expression softened. "I have a Fledgling of my own, see. If I am gone, she will have no one. She's young- too young to understand any of this, and innocent besides. She has no relation to any of this, excepting the few times I have had to introduce her to the demons...but I only did that to scare her away from interacting with them." Elizabeth's eyes became almost pleading as the once more returned to the vampire before her. "You...You're still technically a king, aren't you? Is there anything you could do for her- when I die?" Integra, silently watching until now, felt something in her heart contract for the vampiress. She sounded so certain of her imminent death...she was probably right, but it wasn't often she seen such resignation from vampires held at the point of one of Alucard's guns. Then again, who was to say Alucard was the only one waiting to kill her? After all, Sebastian was right there, and even if they let her go, she'd likely be killed as a traitor to whoever she worked for, if she were to guess.

"A Fledgling with no Master has little hope of survival in this day and age. I survived Masterless because of the time I grew up in. Information about Nosferatu was much more available back when our kind didn't have to hide as much." Alucard stated. "However, being that she is a very young vampire, there's little hope she would make it on her own, especially if she is still having issues taking blood." Elizabeth nodded as if to confirm his unasked question. "Frankly, she would be better off being euthanized alongside her traitorous Master." Elizabeth's eyes alighted with a brief flash of panic as he said this.

"However...There is one vampiress I know of who could potentially use the company. However, you should know that severing the Master-servant bond this way has repurcussions that go both ways. She will grieve and suffer your loss for a long time, and may refuse a bond with her surrogate. Still...in exchange for information, I suppose I can take that option into consideration. However, I will make no promises, besides which, what makes up my mind here is the quality of information you delegate. So start talking. Unless you'd rather unhand my own Fledgling first so that I can figure out what you've done to her?" Elizabeth smiled softly.

"Not a chance."

"I didn't think so."

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 **WHOOO! Looooooooong chapter much? Sorry about that! I've been working on it for a few days...in case you can't tell. Okay, so ASTERISKS!**

 ***Psychopaths being able to put others needs before their own:** _Okay, this is a subject that is very very very very very debatable, and something that is extremely uncommon for them to do from what I understand of it. Psycopathy (loosely explained as the condition of someone born with an inability to feel empathy or remorse) intrigues me, but I am not a psychologist nor do I pretend to know what goes through the minds of people like that, (As if I could know) however, Alistar apparently does. (But then, demons have kind of a psychopathic mindset by design, for this fic' s purposes.) Bear in mind also that I do not necessarily reflect my OC; I got the inspiration for the ingredients of a soul from an outside source,and thereby stake no claim to any offence it may have caused. (I will apologise for it though) If I sounded presumptuous, I apologise; but realise that these are all things being claimed by a character that again does not necessarily reflect my own beliefs or opinions, even if they are a product of my imagination._

 ****Arum berries/clawing out their own throats:** _The kind of Arum being discussed here is a nasty little plant commonly known as "Lords and Ladies"; it's leaves, root, and fruit contain a caustic chemical called calcium oxalate that causes blisters and severe chemical burns upon contact with skin. However, the fruit looks kind of like a rasberry to the unawares person (don't know how you could be unaware, since it looks nothing like a rasberry bush in the slightest) and there's an old german tale about two children who mistakenly ate the fruit once and died trying to claw their own throats and tongues out because even one tiny drop of the juice causes an immediate, extreme burning sensation. The progression of the poisioning once ingested then goes to violent vomitting, diharrea and eventually convulsions, leading ultimately to a swift death. This stuff kills you in minutes, sometimes hours, depending on how much you ate and what part, but the point is DON'T EAT SHINY RED BERRIES YOU FIND IN THE WOOD! Trust me, these ones will ruin your day. :3_

 *****Twin Swords:** _Yay, more manga stuff. Ok, so it turns out Lizzy is a BADASS swordsman. Oh, and her family is descended of knights, and its possible her father or even her mother and father are both knighted (just like Integra is) She can beat Ciel at fencing and is actually pretty good at chess as well. She is seen, for those interested, performing this badassery swordsmanship in the Campania arc, (the same one in which we discover Undertaker is a mad scientist-necromancer of sorts and is also a badass fighter- guess it was just an arc of badassery all the way around! :3) Which immediately follows the Book of Murder arc. (Hopefully that means it will be the next one anime-fied)._

 **Alright, I'm out for the night! Remember to REVIEW for the next chapter! (Sorry for the info bomb as well! ) And Aufweidersehen!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, nearly to the end!**

 **Now that I am reading the Hellsing Manga as well, I realise I made some rather greivious errors cannonically. Apologies a little late for that.**

 **Skipping onward:**

 **WARNINGS: Again, ANGST, other generally anxiety inducing things- oh, and GRELL because he's a warning by himself. Have fun. C:**

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 **CH XV**

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Grell Sutcliffe. A man of many words, and few cares; truly, the definition of a free spirited youth. But even he donned a leash made of responsibilities when he was at work, no matter how much he detested them.

"Stupid William...making me do all the work. Why, it's injustice to make a woman do the work for a man! Surely even he knows that! But here I am, bored out of my mind, waiting until the edge of oblivion for the intended to appear..." Grell sighed dramatically as he slumped against his scythe. He was perched on some building in east London, just a stones throw away from the Hellsing estate, where there was currently some wild event going on, no doubt. But no, he wasn't there for that, because "He can't be trusted while the presence of those demons interferes with his rational judgement," in the precise words of William. Really, the man aught to know that Grell, while still finding the demon in question to be particularly favorable, was not nearly as dead-set on him as before; not now that Will himself had become the red reapers new obsession (with surprisingly favorable results, he might add).

"Oh for goodness sake, the least he could do was send-"

"Hey, Grell-senpai*." Grell's scarlet hair whipped around him as his head turned sharply to regard the person who had spoken, a wave of relief and excitement crashing over him as he promptly bounded up to greet his co-worker.

" _Ronnie,_ darling!" Grell cried enthusiastically as he rushed up to the blonde reaper, immediately pulling him into a tight embrace around the shoulders. He cringed at the constriction, noting that Grell really had a lot more physical strength than he was frequently given credit for.

"Grell...You're squishing me..."

"Oh, sorry about that, deary. I've been bored out of my mind, sitting here waiting for someone by the name of...oh, hang on a moment," Grell released Ronald from his bear-hug and pulled The Book out of his jacket, not missing the gasp of air his cowroker drew into his lungs. "Ah, one mister Gregory Armstace, to appear. Says here he's supposed to die at precisely five thirty AM, right here on Jay and Cornwall; cause of death-" Grell paused, looking down at the book with confusion. Curious, Ronald poked his head over Grell's shoulder, reading the cause of death with an equal amount of befuddlement.

"Asphyxiation? That's all it says?" Ronald inquired, coming back down onto his heels as his hand wandered up to scratch his head. "Usually theres something more specific in there, so that you know that what happened to kill them- well, _happened_. But I guess as long as he dies by the intended means it doesn't really matter. Still...Did this come out of back-records? 'Cause some of those can be pretty nondescript, what with the overtime happening right now. The scirbes and secretaries just don't have the time to dwell sometimes." Ronald shrugged, and Grell imitated the action, brow quirking over The Book. "Can't say I know, darling. But I must admit it seems a bit odd...Still, this is all dreadfully boring work. Say, what are you doing here anyway?" Grell said as he turned to Ronald. The blonde scratched the back of his head almost meekly. He drew a deep, preparatory breath before speaking. "Well, actually, you've been reassigned," as the light of excitement sparked in his senpai's eyes, knowing too well what that meant, Ronald rushed onward. "Seems like Will trusts you more than you thought. However, he's gonna be there too, so you should really-" Ronald didn't get to finish, as he thought might happen, before Grell let out an excited squeal. Ronald could only sigh, wating for a break in the excited rambling to voice the rest of his thought. It didn't really bother him- after all, he'd been working with the reaper for a very long time now, and had even sort of begun to look up to the spunky character like a sibling. Still, Grell had a miraculous ability to wear thin on literally _anyone's_ patience. Ronald cleared his throat not once, not twice, but _three_ times before he could warrant his mentors attention, the effort making his throat hurt slightly.

"Grell-senpai, you know William will be there, right? So you can't get carried away, especially not with that demon. You might get away with that stuff while he's not there, but I warner he'd throttle you if you were flirting like you usually do and he was there. You know how he is."

"Yes, yes, Ronnie, I know all about it. " At the unfocused look in his eyes Ronald assumed he would rather not know exactly what Grell meant by that.

"Just as long as you know." Ronald shrugged. Grell wasn't the type to follow other people's advice, he knew. In all liklihood the poor reaper would wind up in ICU again (not that he'd complain since he had a thing for pain) by the end of the day, if he knew William. And he did.

"Hey, wait, what'd you say you were here for again? Specifically?" Grell inquired as he drew himself spontaneously from his thoughts, wherever they had been.

"I didn't, senpai." Ronald smiled at his mentor, knowing how much of a ditz he could be. He supposed it ought to annoy him, but he found Grell's almost punk-ish attitude and confidence to be inspiring in an odd way. "I know you're going to like what I have to say, though. Seems you've been reassigned for tonight to-" Ronald gestured towards the Hellsing estate, not missing the shimmer in Grell's eye. "-that place." Ronald handed Grell the file of a person he was made to reap there, and gave his coworker a curious stare as he did so.

"What about this one?"

"Guess I'm doing it, since you'll have your hands full."

"Huh?" Grell opened the file hastily, checking over its contents before his eyes bugged out of his skull at the names- yes, plural- that he was to be taking.

"WHAT?!"

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Alistar hesitated at the Hellsing manor door. Part of him felt that he should help his...Masters, but another part of him, the part that loathed conflict, warned him ferociously to keep his distance. He knew it was a litteral warzone out there; even if the fire had ceased for the time, he knew it was bound to kick up again at any moment. He really detested the sound of gunfire, so noisy and unnatural; but he supposed it was the right thing to do.

Opening the door slowly so that it made as little sound as possible, he slipped swiftly through the crack, prepared to dart back inside should he be shot at. But no such thing occured, and he was met with at least five (well, four if you wanted to lump the monocular gazes of two of them together) sets of eyes, all suspiciously pinned on him as he moved silent as a shadow from the door. He didn't mind the glares or looks of surprise, having expected them, and instead regarded the young vampiress at the base of the stairs, clinging onto a girl he was sure he hadn't met yet, but he assumed was Alucard's beloved- he'd smelled her on him earlier, anyway- giving the vampire an icy but curious stare to return her suspicious, paralyzed glare.

"Alistar?" Ciel questioned incredulously, giving the demon a once-over as if he'd lost his marbles. Maybe he had. "What are you doing out here?"

"I came to see if I could be of...assistance, so to speak. " He answered cryptically, gazing over the throng of soldiers wobbling and shifting about the crowd with clear unease.

"And of what assistance might you be?" Alucard practically growled it at him, clearly having been interupted if his cocked pistol was any indication.

"Depends on the manner of conflict." Alistar once again replied vaguely.

"Well, as you can see, we have an intruder who seems to have taken my Fledgling hostage, and I was about to interrogate her as to why she is here to begin with." Alucard replied, voice clipped with obvious impatience.

"I see. Afraid I can't do too much about that unless you deliberately asked it of me." He shrugged. "Is anyone hurt?" Again Alistar gazed like a hawk over the huddled mass of humans, trying to pick out any obvious injuries. He did not miss the uncomfortable shifting and shuffling his gaze created like a wave as it fell over them, realising it must have seemed quite predatory to them, being what he was.

"I can heal the wounded." He clarified, seeing some of the tension drop from the crowd.

"There's no one injured that I know of," The Hellsing woman said, and it occured to Alistar that he did not know her name. "But at least seven are dead. The only one seriously hurt here seems to be Seras there," She motioned to the gal being held as a hostage, who was pale and quite obviously unconscious. "But as Alucard so graciously pointed out, she'd being held as a hostage right now." The woman said with a bitter sarcasm that made her worry seem more obvious than he'd of taken her to show, being the stoic woman he'd seen her to be before.

"Well, then, take her away. She's unconscious, and you have leverage over the captor, I presume? Otherwise why would you be pointing a presumably loaded gun at her?" Alistar looked dead at Alucard as he said this, watching the vampires brows rise with surprise and slight amusement. "You claim to be so good at your job, it should be nothing to shoot her and not your fledgling. Not that I am so sure from this vantage point that shooting her would be a bad idea, considering the state she is in."

"Alistar!" Ciel cried in disbelief, clearly not expecting him to be so crass. But he couldn't help himself- he really didn't like bullies.

"I never claimed anything of the sort- besides which, how would you know?" Alucard snapped, though there was a note of genuine curiousity in his voice.

"The same way I know that that vampire is Elizabeth Midford. Or was, anyway." He said, looking down at Lizzy, who wore a wide-eyed expression. He looked then over to Ciel, who wore a similarly surprised expression, before training his eyes on Sebastian's amusedly smirking face, much as he was trying to hide it.

"You are not the only one with access to inteligence. The Undertaker seems to fancy having one-sided conversations with me while I attempt to sleep. It can not therefore be helped that I know a few things about your human life, Ciel." He addressed the young demon, seeing a flicker of rage evanesce behind his cerulian eye. The young, proud demon clearly thought it to be a vulnerability, clearly one he did not like to share.

"But how would you recognise Lizzy?"

"Photographs. Undertaker can be particularly sentimental. Emphasis on 'particular'."

"Who _are_ you talking about?" Alucard snapped, on the edge of his patience. He did not play 'beat around the bush' very well.

"Undertaker is our...messenger, I suppose you could call him, as well as a valuable informant. He keeps me and Sebastian up to date on what is happening with our... makeshift, forces, and relays intel back and forth between us when we are not physically present in London. He also acts as a surveilance system to be sure that our forces do what they are told to do when we aren't there."

"So he's effectively your second?" Alistar inquired with a raised brow. He knew roughly of all but the last one, but hearing it all placed together in a sentance made a bigger picture in his mind suddenly.

"Hm...I've never thought of him that way, but I suppose the position would suit him, except that he doesn't give you lot orders."

"I wouldn't say that exactly." Alistar corrected lightly. "He'll bark at us if you make it seem urgent enough; he's even rousted me from my perch a time or two to handle some demon-on-demon conflicts involving our ragtag group, since apparently I'm the babysitter of the group when no one can play nice." Alistar couldn't keep the sarcasm from his voice, sighing lightly. "But I suppose that can be expected; after all, I'm the oldest of us except Sebastian. Guess it makes sense that creep would consolidate me over the rest of them for such things." A light of understanding lit itself like a candle in Ciel's exposed eye, and he seemed to piece together something silently in his mind for a moment before pushing it back and pulling the same cold front Alistar was so used to over that shimmering blue iris again.

"Hm...an interesting thought, having Undertaker as a second...nevertheless, Alistar; you wanted to make yourself useful, didn't you?" Sebastian said with a smirk that told of trouble.

"I didn't say that precisely, but sure. What'd you have in mind?"

"Deal with the pest problem."

"Huh?" Alistar raised a brow just as a strange but familiar sense came over him. Alucard seemed to sense it as well, for his head snapped sharply in th direction of the gates.

"Ah. Seems we've gathered _their_ attention. Should I summon Undertaker? You know he can be here quickly if necessary. He knows more about fighting these freaks than I do, in any case." Alistar stated as he stretched out his muscles, preparing both physically and mentally for the task.

"Don't be so lazy. Besides, I think it's just one. Surely even you can handle one measly fly?"

"It would be better if the fly wasn't a wasp in disguise."

"What-" The Hellsing woman was about to protest her confusion, but was distracted as the girl, Seras, began to stir in the arms of her captor. Elizabeth looked down on the girl with clear shock before looking suddenly to the roof of the manor, where even she could sense something lurking with a nearly ominous presence.

"Seras!" Integra called as she seen the Draculina wake, blinking drearily. Her captor, Elizabeth, threw her head back suddenly to peer up at the roof, inclining both herself and Alucard to do the same. A strange sense of foreboding overcame Integra then, and she drew her pistol almost on reflex. There was something on the roof- or _someone._

"My Master, I do not think it wise for you or your men to remain outside anymore. Get inside, to safety; I - or _we -_ will handle the rest." Alucard warned. There was a sudden _flop_ sound, and Integra was drawn to Seras's body, which had just been unceremoniously dropped into the cold gravel, her captor backing away as her eyes remained locked onto the roof. Clearly she sensed something up there as well. Integra was just about to stop her from trying to get away when a voice sounded from atop the building, grating and pitchy and just _odd_ sounding.

"Well, isn't this a bit of a predicament? Guess I can see why they called me to do this one." Suddenly there was a form dropping from the crest of the roof, it's silhouette marred by the donning of a cloak or cape that fluttered like a rippling curtain as it fell more slowly than gravity should have allowed down to the ground right in the middle of everything, high-booted feet landing gracefully on the first step of the manor's entrance.

All Integra could see as he landed was the color red. His long coat was red, his hair was red, even his half-framed glasses were a brilliant vermillion color. She knew instantly who this man had to be, but all thought halted as she seen his bizzarely colored gold-green eyes, which seemed to find her before anyone else. His gaze was eerie in the same dangerously excited way Alucard's often was, which unnerved her a lot more than she would care to admit to even herself.

"Hello, hello!" The red man cried cheerily, throwing his arms up into a dramatic pose as he spun to face the demons standing by the entrance. "Long time no see, Bassy," Grell grinned like a Cheshire cat as he greeted the old aquaintances, ignoring their annoyed stares.

"Grell? They sent _you_?" Ciel growled with increduluity.

"Well who else would they send to reap souls in a place infested with soul-snatching demons and vampires?" The reaper boasted. "Besides, it would seem you lot are hiding someone on the to-die list, someone who should have died a long time ago. But the brat got away from me, and I've been in trouble for it ever since." He pouted before his expression returned to a jubilantly sadistic grin. "So I've come to collect him as well."

" _You're_ Grell Sutcliffe?"

The red reaper turned around to find the barrel of a rather impressive looking handgun pointed directly at his face. He didn't bother to flinch or blink, instead regarding the offensive object with a quirked brow before draggin his eyes up the arm attatched to it, finally settling on the face of he who many reapers knew by name, Grell included.

"Ah, you must be that big bloody bloke of a vampire- Alucard, was it? My, my, I never would have expected such a pretty face to belong to such a reknowned killer. But I guess I should have- after all, just look at Bassy. For such a demon, he's got all the beauty of an angel." Grell grinned his typical toothy smile, but dropped it a bit when he heard a suspicious clicking noise from behind him. So it was going to be like that.

"You could shoot me, you know. I'd rather you didn't, of course, but it wouldn't kill me. No,no, my kind's a bit more resillient than that. Believe me, I've tried shooting myself- but sadly, it appears even guns can't kill reapers."

"Reapers? What on earth are you talking about, you moron?" Alucard taunted impatiently. He was very close to loosing his cool, and the fact his Fledgling was coming to did not, contrary to what one might have thought, soothe his nerves at all.

"Well surely you've heard of us? After all, we were there when you died- or, when you were supposed to have." The vampire let out a growl, and Grell heard footsteps approach him from behind.

"Explain. What are you?" Interga demanded.

"He's a Reaper, as he told you." Alistar piped in, rather annoyed he'd have to deal with this kind of thing. "His job is to reap the souls of the deceased- or more accurately, to collect their memories and such in the form of their Cinematic Records." Alistar explained, cracking his knuckles threateningly as he approached Grell slowly from atop the steps. "He is neither a demon or a human, though he was one once. No; rather, ironically, his kind are in a class that sits beside the Angels, though Reapers have no strict affiliation with either heaven or hell. They just collect the soul, they don't decide it's fate. That's the job of someone else." Grell swallowed a bit as the strange white demon approached him, looking him over skeptically.

"Are you a demon?" Grell asked suspiciously. "'cause, no offence, but you really look more...well...not-demon-y, frankly speaking." Grell said, all kinds of questions flitting through his overactive mind.

"I guess you could say that." Alistar replied cryptically, standing before the reaper. He held up his hand to tell Alucard to stand down, and when the vampire refused, he turned his crimson gaze upon the creature, not surprised when he found an angry vermillion glare staring back.

"You need not get involved here, vampire. Besides, he's right; your bullets will be utterly useless except maybe to slow him down. Mortal weapons can't kill them, and being as they are Divine Beings, holy objects won't hurt them either. Again, they're in a class just shy of Angeldom. The 'Angels of death', you might say." Alistar allowed a rare smile to grace his lips, not missing the way the red reaper reeled from the expression, knowing it had a tendency to frighten people. "Oh, and your pet is quite right, woman," He addressed Integra, turning to face her.

"It's Integra." She snapped.

"Integra? Interesting name." Alistar remarked, "Anyway, your servant is quite right about you and your mortal companions needing to seek shelter inside. This is going to get ugly, I'm afraid, now that the reapers have gotten involved. One thing I have learnt in my long life- where there is one crow, there are always more. All it takes is one measly bird to sound the alarm, and you've got an entire murder on your tail, trying to pluck you out of flight with all their tiny might." Alistar said sardonically, his creepy smile broadening. "But this one here is all alone for now. As long as he can't call for help, we shouldn't have too much of a problem. After all, theres-" Alistar paused to glance around him. "Three demons, including myself, two of which have personal beef with you, and at least one viable vampire, who might be able to slow you down at least." He smiled wickedly as he addressed the reaper, and genuine fear crept into Grell's gaze as the demon's words sunk in. He hadn't stopped to think about the fact he might be this outnumbered. Hadn't expected to be. All he'd been told was that Sebastian and Alucard would be there; he'd expected Ciel, being as he went everywhere with the older demon, but hadn't expected there to be an extra, fully grown demon lying around. If it was just Sebastian, Ciel, and Alucard, he was confident he could probably disarm Alucard and the weaker Ciel, leaving him with just Sebastian to deal with, not that the demon ever really cared for or got in the way of his reaping affairs before except where his master was concerned. However, this whole event had nothing to do with Ciel, except where Lizzy, who was standing silently off to the side, was concerned, and even then, he hadn't anything to do with her tonight. Still, by the sounds of that threat, it would seem he had done something to incur the wrath of the little hellspawn, likely meaning he would be fighting not just one, but _two_ _ **fully grown**_ demons and a currently angry vampire.

He was _so_ fucked. And not even in the good way.

"Seems I made a miscalculation." Grell said seriously. "One demon, I can take; two adults? Afraid I might have to pass on that one." The red reaper wasted no time jumping away from danger, reaching for his scythe as he did so. He heard a shot from the vampire's gun as it whizzed by his leg as he leapt into the air, landing on his hand on the other side of Elizabeth before bounding over to where the Hellsing lady, Integra, was. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Don't even try it, freak!" Alucard bellowed, firing at the reaper as he went along, missing more than hitting. He hadn't anticipated the damn thing to be so fast. He could see what the reaper was trying to do, and rushed over to run interception-

Only to come face to teeth with a fucking _chainsaw._

"What the hell?" Alucard barely managed to miss being struck in the face by the spinning metal teeth, which instead landed on his shoulder with a sharp, burning, ripping pain that surprised him with it's intensity. Alucard managed to jump back, away from the weapon as well as it's weilder, clutching his shoulder. _'What the fuck was that?'_

"Well, that's a new one on me." Alucard remarked with a sadistic grin. "Where were you hiding _that_ thing?"

"Oh, this?" Grell brandished his chainsaw like it was a knife, holding it securely in one hand. _'He's physically stronger than he appears to be, to be holding such a heavy thing like it weighs nothing.'_

"This is my Death Scythe- modified, of course." Grell gloated, spinning the weapon in his hand. "It's abilities aren't too much different from any other Scythe though. It can cut through almost anything, and has a little bit of a reach on it if I can swing her fast enough- oh, and it can _kill_ almost anything it cuts; Divine Beings, demons, humans, _vampires_ , animals- why, I can't be certain of it, but I'm nearly confident that a Death Scythe could rightly kill an Angel, too, if it had to." Grell smiled wickedly. "But it's not often reapers come into conflict with Angels, so I've no way to really know. There's certainly no record of a reaper killing one that I'm aware."

"That's because it's against the law to kill Angels, don't you know?" All eyes turned to Elizabeth as she said this, her own eyes nearly vacant with some kind of shock.

"Eh? What are you talking about, dear?"

"The Angels...They rule everything...They see everything...They purify everything...They..." She trailed off, in a stupor of some kind.

"Hey, anybody know what's up with her?" Grell asked skeptically.

"You said you wanted help getting intel out of her, didn't you, Alucard?" Alistar appeared suddenly behind Grell, making the reaper jump with a startled yelp. He didn't get the chance to turn around and swing his scythe at the demon, though, before Alistar's hand had wrapped itself around the reaper's wrist painfully, forcing him to drop his scythe, the demon's free hand reaching around Grell's body to grip his throat and pull the reaper flush against him.

"Okay, I'll admit, you're a pretty attractive man, but this is _so_ not the way I like being embraced by such beauties!" Grell struggled, clawing at the hand on his throat to no avail, feeling the demon's claws extend dangerously, their tips cutting into his skin just enough to draw blood, each one aimed directly at his carotid artery. _That_ might kill him.

"I took care of our suspect, now I suppose I should take care of the pest." Alistar said coldly, claws threatening to rip into Grell's throat further and further with every second that passed.

"Oi! Be reasonable! All I'm here for is-"

"You're after Demitri, correct?" Integra interrupted. She came to stand before the lot of them, Alucard, who was carrying a half-consious Seras in his arms, walking alongside her. "Seems he's quite popular. I can't help but wonder why?" She turned an icy blue eye on Alistar, and he nodded a bit. Gazing over at Elizabeth, he whispered something in a foreign language beneath his breath, the warm air hitting the back of Grell's neck in a way that made him shiver despite himself.

"What are you doing?" Grell demanded, to which Alistar replied by thightening his grip on the reaper's throat.

"I've cast a spell on her. She'll tell us anything in due time. Afraid it takes a while for the spell to work completely though."

"A spell? When the hell did you do that?" Grell had seen a demon cast one incantation in his life, and didn't remember it being so subtle.

"Before you even arrived. I knew somebody would ask me to help interrogate her at some point, so I cast it well in advance."

"Then why wasn't she doing this before?" Alucard asked.

"Because I set up a delay on the effects. See, my spells are a little different from other demon's. I can control the precise time they take effect, no matter how long ago I cast them. I could have placed it on her centuries ago, as reference, and she would still feel the effects now because I released the delay."

"Interesting," Alucard smiled agreeably, his pointed fangs glinting in the moonlight as he smirked. This 'Alistar' character was begining to settle on his good side, if only because he seemed to repeatedly make himself out to be intriguing in some sort or the next.

Seras moaned as she stirred in Alucard's embrace, causing her sire to lose his approving grin in favor of frowning down at her. She writhed in his arms as though in pain, making Alucard conscientiously loosen his grip on her slightly to give her more room to wiggle. Her injured arm was tucked into her side, her hand balling into a fist as she wriggled more in his grasp, fingers clutching at her now bloody shirt as if to pull it from herself. Her other arm was draped around her Master's neck, and clung to his coat with fingers that better functioned as talons for how tightly she grasped the fabric, the claw-like appendages tearing small holes into the collar of the scarlet coat. Inside her mind, Seras was dreaming a most terrible nightmare, Alucard could sense, her mind a dizzying kaleidoscope of memories, thoughts, worries, insecurities, and some deep sense of remorse that her Master could not quite put his thumb against to squash, no matter how much blood he encouraged her to drink or how much progress she made as a Draculina. He wasn't sure what the vampiress Elizabeth had done to his little fledgling, but it seemed to be attacking her psychologically more than physically, despite the frantic way she clutched to both her Master and her self.

And indeed, her mind was a terrible mess right then; so confusing and disorienting were her own thoughts that she was scarcely aware she was being held, despite her coming in and out of consciousness as she battled whatever was ripping her apart right now. Alucard tried once more to connect to her consciousness, trying to bring her from her nightmare, but something interfered, and at best he could only remain there for a breif moment or two, just long enough to get a good eyeful of the hell her mind had created, before some invisible force shoved him out again. It was almost as if something were trying desperately to possess her mind, and her Master truly wished little more in that instant than for the offending force to leave her mind, to _leave her alone_. He suspected, however, that the creature Seras was presnently battling was just as real as it was imagined, and for the first time in a long time felt a fear creep up on him for his Fledgling's sake, knowing from experience that psychological battles were not Seras's forte, and fearing that she could wake any moment now as something entirely not herself - after all, these were demons they were dealing with.

 _ **"Seras...Seras! You need to wake up, Seras. Come back to your senses!"**_ His attempts to coerce her telepathically were for naught, but he kept trying anyway, hoping- and hope was not something he relied on often, mind you- that she would stir and wake to resemble some visage of herself, even if she became feral for the fear he could sense rolling off her in waves. If she was possessed by a demon, if she woke as one...He'd have no choice but to take his gun to her.

Except this time he wasn't allowed to miss.

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Seras was lying in a dark, empty space that had her shivering for more reasons than the chill draft coming from somewhere in the void of shadows that seemed to engulf her senses. A voice whispered from the darkness, sweeping over her like that gentle, cold breeze, and for half a second she had the mind that it was the voice itself breathing that insufferable chill over her body, which, as she thought about it, was completely nude. The darkness all around her was utterly suffocating, it's very air like a thick cloud of velvet, soft but asphyxiating. The shadows seemed to caress her body along with that cold, gentle air, whispering some foreign language over her skin as it touched where it pleased, passing over her body with a sensation akin to water rolling down her arms, her legs, her back. It frightened and intrigued her at the same time, this whispering voice. She couldn't understand what it said, but could make out words from within it's slow, seductive lull. For reasons she didn't understand, she wanted to follow that voice, to find out where it came from- and that thought alone frightened her. She wasn't the type to go blindly into something that smelled as fishy as this, but given as she didn't even know where she was, she supposed she really had no choice.

Getting up, she felt the floor beneath her that was _supposed_ to be solid wobble as if she'd stepped onto a film of plastic over a pool or the surface of a water bed, the motion making her fall back down, where she heard more than felt a _splash_. Suddenly, she could feel cool, but not cold water all around her, and despite not needing air, felt herself panic. It was still dark in here, and with no way to tell which way was up, she had no idea where to swim to. A sharp tugging feeling at the back of her mind was screaming out a warning, telling her to get out of the water. To escape, to flee, but she had nowhere to go. It was the feeling of being trapped, not the feeling of being underwater, that panicked her, making her tense up and slowly sink in a direction she was sure wasn't supposed to be _down_ considering the way she'd fallen in; she didn't know anymore which way was which, though, and a sudden wave of fatigue sapped her of any inclination she might of had to fight the current that then swept over her, dragging her to God-knows-where.

She closed her eyes and drifted for a while, too tired to try swimming. It felt like forever had passed before a voice, a different voice, shocked her awake- she wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, exactly, if you could call it that - one that was so intimately familiar to her that she felt herself instantly jump for joy on the inside, overwhelmed with relief to feel something comforting in this strange land of utter darkness - except, it was no longer dark when she opened her eyes. She was still shrouded by shadows, but a faint, red light glowed from a far off place, allowing her to see the silvery bubbles that streamed off of her realistically. She lost the words the voice had said, but she was confident she would always be able to hear his voice in a crowd, no matter if it was in her head or out.

 _"Master!"_ She tried to call to him mentally, but a sudden shadow, darker than the rest, slipped in front of her like a curtain, a single, glowing iris opening from the dark form, which as she examined it, looked to be made of a darker liquid, seperating and reforming like lava in a lava lamp right in front of her, it's single large eye glowing a familiar crimson-carmine color. _'A demon eye?'_

" _Shhheeeeeessssskkkaaaaa_..." The eye whispered in that sensual, alluring voice. So it had been a demon tempting her here? She supposed she ought to have known that, mentally face-palming.

"You!" She opened her mouth to shout, expecting to have it fill with water, but was pleasantly surprised when her voice came out clear as a bell in the dark water. "You're a demon, aren't you? Get out of my bloody head!" She shouted at the formless shape, raw anger beginning to make her seethe. Much to her surprise, and changrin, the demon eye began to laugh, voice breathy and disembodied.

 **"You have spunk. I'll give you that."** The voice, the eye, spoke in a feminine voice. **"Have no fear, I am keeping the real threat at bay. That thing she injected you with was pure demon blood. It's trying to get at you, to make you lose out to it's power. It will indeed give you a power boost unlike anything you have seen, but such a power comes at a cost. All those nightmares, those memories that have been haunting you up until thusly are all pieces of your Cinematic Record. The demon blood is trying to destroy- no, to rewrite them. To alter them until they are formless and forgotten, eating away at them, at your mind, your memory, your soul, until there's nothing left of it."** The voice chuckled, and Seras swallowed hard at the flush of intel. **"But have no fear, I'm keeping it at bay for now. I need you to do something for me first."**

"Alright- but how are you even in my head to begin with?"

 **"Part of the blood she injected you with was mine. I snuck a few drops into the mix while no one was looking, suspecting they might try something like this. Really, that girl is too eager. I told them not to fight unless it was neccessary. But then, I suppose I would have done the same."**

"What do you want? You said you wanted me to do something. What if I say no?"

 **"Then you'll die, of course."** Of course. Because nothing with bloody demons could be negotiable.

"Alright- what is it you want me to do?"

 **"You know Demitri, don't you?"** Seras blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, what of it?"

 **"Bring him to a small town called Caturbury. I will be waiting there to take him. Then we don't have to turn this into a big, bloody battle. No one will have to die, and we can all go home happy."**

"Wait, what do you want with Demitri?" Seras snapped protectively, annoyed when the voice once more began to laugh at her.

 **"Not that it's your business, but I rather need him. See, we've been apart a very long time now, and I am sure he misses me just as much as I miss him."** Seras's anger died on her lips as she replied curiously, "Who are you?"

 **"Let's just say we are close relatives. You may, for the time, call me Hannah."**

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Demitri hid beneath his covers. It was too quiet now that the gunfire had stopped. Either something went wrong and everyone was dead, or something had happened, and either side was going to come after him any moment now, one to reassure him everything was okay, or the other to take him away again. He knew, somehow, that this was his fault. That the people fighting downstairs were here to get him, to find him. He just didn't know why. Why? What was so special about him that everyone seemed to want a piece of him? Who wanted him so desperately that they would kill to get him? He didn't know, and it made him more scared than ever.

He was worried about Sissy, too. Was she out there, fighting? Was she okay? Was she dead? He had to suppress the urge to vomit at the thought. Getting worked up wasn't going to help, he reminded himself. He needed to get calm. To think. But what could he do, besides hide here? He was already so scared of the human's here, the one's with guns and sneers on their faces whenever he poked his head out the door curiously now and again. He had a bad feeling about those people, like they all wanted to hurt him somehow for just being there, so he stayed almost solely in his room. It was okay though, because Sissy usually came in to give him blood once a day, and the bossy Integra lady only came in sometimes. Besides that, Sebastian usually came in once a day to help tidy up the room and tend to his other wishes, if he had any. He questioned why the demon was so interested in him, suspicious, but Sebastian had never hurt him, even if he'd been kind of scary the night the snake demon attacked him. He still wasn't as scary as Brother Alucard. That vampire...he just wasn't normal.

Besides, he was used to being held in one place, since the lady Lizzy never really let him leave the small shack they'd been hiding in for the last...well, he didn't know how long, but a long time. Sometimes he missed that place, missed his dark, dusty room, missed the familiar smell of rotting wood and snow. But all in all, he found this place to be much better, even if he never left the room. It was big enough, unlike his other one, that he didn't really feel the need to leave it. He could run, jump, walk, and play in here all night and still have room to spare. He had a soft, fluffy bed, something he was sure he'd never had before, and Sissy was always, _always_ nice to him. Integra was a little scary, but she made an effort to be nice and try to talk to him. Sebastian was always polite, if a little creepy, but he'd never moved to hurt him before. He liked this place, this room, but he knew he couldn't stay here forever. Sooner or later, something would happen to make him leave, he knew. Maybe that something was this mess. Maybe someone would come up the stairs and try to take him away again. Maybe they would kill him. He didn't know.

But he did know that he was going to find out.

Summoning up the dredges of his courage, Demitri pulled the covers off, his hands already starting to shake with nerves. He wasn't doing any good sitting here like a duck; He needed to hide, at least, someplace less obvious. If all he could do was that much, then he had to. He had to, for Sissy's sake. He'd never forigive himself if she died trying to protect him, the way he thought his Mama did. Thinking about it to distract himself as he made his way cautiously to the door, he thought about how Sissy sort of treated him like a Mama should. She fed him, gave him clothes, talked to and soothed him when he was upset...He really didn't know how he knew, never really having had anyone do those things for him before, that good Mama's did those things. Maybe it was some hidden memory of his own Mama that told him she was a good one; maybe he just knew.

Demitri carefully opened the door with shaking hands, reminding himself he needed to be calm. For Sissy. He would be brave for Sissy. For Sissy, because she was like Mama. And Mama's needed their boys to be strong for them sometimes. Bearing that encouraging thought in mind, Demitri crept from the room, peering cautiously into the long, dark hallway before stepping out of the threshold with a deep swallow. There wasn't anyone in the hallway, and as he crept slowly to the stairs, he still didn't find anybody. He hesitated nontheless, knowing that he could get really lost if he didn't pay extra close attention to where he was going. But that was exactly the issue- he didn't know where anything was, besides the front door. He knew they were all outside, and figured throwing himself into the fray would do more harm than good. That in mind, he began to back up, going to find someplace else to hide- but then his big mental mouth had to blurt a thought that scared and impressed him at the same time.

Thinking on it a minute, he froze at the top of the stairs. Could he do it? Would it really be worth it? Sissy was really important to him, and he would really miss her...No. No, he was doing this for her. Because Sissy didn't deserve to lose her life because of him. Didn't deserve to die for him. He didn't deserve that either, he reasoned. He was sure if Sissy died because of him that Brother Alucard would probably kill him. _That_ , he might deserve. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he made his resolution. Going down the stairs with renewed purpose, he hoped silentl to himself that he didn't die the wrong way tonight. He'd never live it down on the other side if he did.

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Seras woke with such a start that it surprised even her Master, who held her more tightly on reflex, his arms immediately seeming to coil around her like snakes, holding her still. She froze, for a second not realising where she was. She took a deep breath then, and smelled her Master's earthy, bloody scent, and was immediately soothed. Her chest hurt like hell, not aided by Alucard's constriction, but she was okay otherwise. Her head was spinning from her dream/nighmare/ meeting with the demoness, and she needed to collect her thoughts before she could say anything to reassure her Master she was alright.

"Seras? Are you alright?" She heard her Master ask, his grip loosening to pull her away so he could look at her face. She gazed back up at him, seeing a very uncharacteristically worried expression on his face.

"Huh? Oh, I-I'm okay. I think." Seras replied, clutching her head when it began to throb.

"Good." Was all Alucard said, his expression softening a bit. The whole thing confused the hell out of Seras, but she hardly got a moment to think on it before she heard a tell-tale creak of the front doors opening, her head and her Master's snapping back to look at the door at the same time. Seras might have been out of the loop, but she knew the doors shouldn't be opening. Immediately on guard, she glanced around swiftly, finding her former captor standing not far from them, a vacant, glassy look on her face that indicated some kind of mental absence. She'd been half expecting her to be the one trying to get inside, but upon seeing her state, crossed her off the list as a suspect. Glancing behind her, she was met with a sight that churned her stomach into quesy knots. She hadn't been given a really thourough description of what Grell Sutcliffe looked like, but seeing the red man with a chainsaw at his feet, even apprehended as he was by Alistar (which surprised her more than she'd care to admit at the time) ignited a protective fire in her belly while simultaneously releasing a flood of anxiety, adrenaline instantly pumping into her veins, making her hypervigilant. Whipping her head quickly back to the door, her heart, which normally beat very slowly, stopped altogether before starting the vampiric equivilant of racing. Dread and a terrible, blinding sting of panic made her go rigid in her Master's arms as a small, black-haired figure peered out of the doors.

 _'No, no, no, no, no, no - don't do it, don't be him, don't -'_ But it was too late.

"Sissy?"

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 **Okay, we're almost done! Might be a few more chappies than I planned, but hey, as long as reviews keep coming, I won't complain.**

 **Only one ASTERISK:**

 ***Senpai:** _I kept the senpai title for Knox because it makes him look cuter and because there's really no other way to describe his relationship to Grell in simple terms. Senpai, for those who don't know, is a Japanese honorific used to address an upperclassman or a superior who works in the same dept. as you. It can also be used affectionately between individuals who have an unofficial student/mentor relationship._

 **That said, please REVIEW for the next chapter. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Alrighty, next chappie on the double! I'm really beginning to feel bad about the direction I planned on taking this, but I will not change it. I will apologise though for the shed tears and emotional discomfiture. Sorry.**

 **WARNINGS: T. Big time. Death. More Angst. Tears may commence. Your heartstrings may feel like they are being burned by acid. You're welcome.**

 **And a song about life to go with because I've always attributed it to Seras.**

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 **CH XVI**

 _ **Rabbit heart**_

 _By Florence and the Machine_

 _The looking glass, so shiny and new,_

 _How quickly the glamour fades,_

 _I start spinning, slipping out of time-_

 _Was that the wrong pill to take? (raise it up)_

 _You made a deal and now it seems you have to offer up,_

 _But will it ever be enough? (Raise it up, raise it up)_

 _It's not enough (raise it up, raise it up)_

 _Here I am,_

 _A rabbit-hearted girl,_

 _Frozen in the headlights,_

 _It seems I've made the final sacrifice;_

 _'''_

 _We raise it up, this offering,_

 _We raise it up-_

 _This is a gift, it comes with a price,_

 _Who is the lamb and who is the knife?_

 _Midas is King and he holds me so tight,_

 _And turns me to gold in the sunlight-_

 _'''_

 _I look around, but I can't find you, (raise it up)_

 _If only I could see your face (raise it up)_

 _Instead if rushing towards the skyline (raise it up)_

 _I wish that I could just be brave-_

 _I must become,_

 _A lion-hearted girl,_

 _Ready for the fight,_

 _Before I make the final sacrifice;_

 _'''_

 _We raise it up, this offering,_

 _We raise it up-_

 _This is a gift, it comes with a price,_

 _Who is the lamb and who is the knife?_

 _Midas is King and he holds me so tight,_

 _And turns me to gold in the sunlight-_

 _Raise it up, raise it up (x2)_

 _'''_

 _And in the spring, I shed my skin,_

 _And it blows away with the changing wind,_

 _The waters turn from blue to red as towards the sky I offer it-_

 _''''_

 _This is a gift, it comes with a price,_

 _Who is the lamb and who is the knife?_

 _Midas is King and he holds me so tight,_

 _And turns me to gold in the sunlight,...(verse x2)_

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All eyes looked to where Demitri stood at the door, a sudden silence sweeping over those that remained- somewhere in the chaos, most of the soldiers had retreated, leaving only a handful left. The silence dragged on for what felt like forever before a sudden commotion drew all eyes back to Seras and Alucard, where Seras began to fiercely struggle against her Master's hold, which remained persistent for reasons the Draculina didn't understand and didn't care to. All she seen, all she heard, all she understood with every instinctual fibre of her being right then was that Demitri was in danger, and that she needed to do something, _now._

"Let me _go_!" She cried, breaking from Alucard's grip with a strength she didn't recognize, some deep, primitive, _human_ part of her brain driving her to reach the small, innocent boy before something or someone else did.

"Hey! It's that brat!" Grell cried suddenly, recognising the child. "That's the kid that was on the to-die list! The one that got away from me!" Grell attempted to struggle, but was none too kindly reminded of his position as a hostage right then by a series of sharp, bittersweet pains in his neck as Alistar's claws dug in deeper.

"You mean the boy was meant to die?" Alucard asked, examining his arm, which would have been broken, had he any actual bones. Seras had grown attatched to that half-breed child, he knew, but to this degree? His fledgling had safely reached the boy, Alucard examined as he turned to watch her run to him. She fretted over him as if she were actually his mother, and for a moment Alucard was compelled to laugh. But it died in his throat when Seras threw him a look, having perhaps accidentally overheard or sensed his thoughts, that made his teeth click audiably as his jaws snapped shut, teeth grinding with a mixture of apprehension and irritation. She truly did not understand the nature of her own kind, did she?

"Yes; it's not often our kind are sent to reap things that aren't human. This one was a special case though, even if he was half demon; somehow, between the incomplete soul of a vampire and the incomplete soul of a demon, he's managed to attain what neither ever have; a whole, total soul." Grell explained. "Which is made more surprising by the fact he was so young when he was meant to die. Reaper intelligence and diagnostics wanted to collect his soul for research purposes, cruel as I know that sounds." Grell said with a frown. "He was supposed to die that day over eighty years ago, via some natural accident. But he didn't die from the accident like he was meant to, which is one of the few instances in which reapers like myself are allowed to interfere-"

"That is, that you're allowed to kill them." Integra finished, pieces of the puzzle that was Demitri falling slowly into place.

"Precisely." Grell grinned wickedly before his face became a bitter pout. "But when I rushed in to run interference- with the intent of mimicking the accident, or bringing about another one - His demon mother got in my bloody way! She kept him from me well, but I did manage to hit him. I thought for sure he'd of died of his wounds, but getting back to HQ, I discovered he'd survived! Oh, don't even get me started on the mess - and mountain of paperwork - I had to suffer for that! Eighty years I've paid for my mistake; however," Grell said, a dangerous gleam coming into his eye. "I won't make the same mistake twice." In a flurry of red and white motion, Grell somehow managed to narrowly catch his scythe with the tip of his boot, kicking it up and within reach of his free hand, which immediately swung the weapon back at an angle, barely missing Alistar's leg and actually hitting his own. The reaper didn't mind it, of course, and made sure to escape the reach of the white demon before he could once again be embraced by his deadly claws.

"In hindsight, I ought to have killed you straight away." Alistar said, preparing to give chase. A blur of black stopped him though, and made Grell turn around mid-jump to face the only other demon presently able to take him down.

"I've grown bored of watching from the sidelines- besides which, we have a score to settle, don't we, Sutcliffe?" Sebastian nearly sneered, a smile coming to his face.

"For what?" Grell cried in alarm, suddenly apprehensive.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something," Sebastian smiled cruelly, wasting no time kicking the reaper in the face, sending him flying back, clear over the small crowd. Sebastian made use of his limited ability to levitate, descending in a supernaturally slow fashion. "Now, _Miss_ Suttcliffe, I beleive it is time you are either leaving or lying in a bloody heap upon the ground. Your choice which one afflicts you." Sebastian said, smile ever present on his face, one that said plainly, _I'm going to enjoy killing you_.

"Oh? You know how I enjoy when you talk to me like that, Bassy- but I'm afraid little Demitri isn't the only one on the to-die list tonight." Confused, Sebastian managed to just miss his old nemesis's chainsaw striking his face. "Oh? Going for face-shots are we? Why, it's almost unbecoming of you, Grell."

"Speak for yourself, kicking a lady in the face!"

As Grell came to touch upon the ground, he seen a shadow flicker from his periphery. Looking to Sebastian's face, his heart plummeted into his stomach at the look of genuine surprise adorning the demon's face, knowing what it meant. A sweeping, forboding sensation and a chill up his spine was all the warning he was given before something- or more precisely, someone - blindsided him with one swift, powerful, utterly _agonizing_ punch to the side of his face, sending the reaper flying more distance than he would have liked before sprawling gracelessly into the dirt. Lifting his now aching head, he peered through glasses that were now cracked some ways across the yard to look at the person who'd hit him- not that he needed to guess.

" _Seras_! What the hell are you doing?" Integra cried, just as surprised by her sudden attack as Sebastian had been.

"With all due respect, Sir," Seras growled, a thick, heavy aura rolling from her palpably even as her shadows were concealed- not that that lasted long before they, too, began to swirl and form around her, adding to her already threatening body language, with head bowed like a feral dog, shoulders and chest puffed and voice dropping in pitch as she balled her fists at her sides, the very image of seething. "I'm not really sure." Seras answered after a moment, making Integra balk. But before the authority figure could say anthing, her servant continued. "But I _do_ know that no matter what you say, no matter what you think of him, that boy- Demitri, is _innocent_! I don't care if he was supposed to die, I don't care if he's got a soul or not; I am _not_ letting you take him away!" Seras snarled, eyes pinning on Grell as she said this, making the red reaper swallow nervously.

" **Seras!"** The Draculina's form immediately shrank slightly at the sound of her Master's booming voice. It wasn't often he sounded like that, and she knew precisely what it meant.

"No!" She cried, whirling on her Master before he could utter another word. "I...I know what you're going to say," She said, lowering her voice. "And I know it's stupid, and reckless, and that you don't- that you _can't_ understand," Alucard looked utterly baffled by his fledgling's speech, but paid it close mind anyway. "But I can't explain it, either." She looked back to Demitri, who she'd told to stay back and not to get involved. "But...But thing's like that, things, people, like him; even though he's made from the darkness, from the night itself, despite that, he's still pure, still innocent and fragile and scared," Seras caught herself tearing up, but ignored the red droplets for now, even as the rolled hown her face ticklishly and hit the soddy, cold ground beneath her with a whisper. She didn't know what it was about this boy, odd and mixed up as he was, that made her feel like this. Maybe she seen a vision of her self in him, in a way, she realised with a mental start. Maybe it was because he resembled her, surrounded by darkness, but still shining bright; maybe that is why she felt this intense need to protect him, to guard his light, so rare in such a dark place. She didn't know for sure; all she knew was that -

"Shouldn't we protect something like that?" She asked more to herself than anyone listening, her voice falling to hover just above a whisper, though it might as well have been a shout for all the screaming silence that surrounded her.

Demitri felt torn. He knew his Sissy wanted desperately to protect him, and had told him to stay put thusly. But he had come down here with a purpose, and despite the fright he felt, knowing now that the person come to get him was the same one that haunted his nightmares, he still wanted to protect Sissy, to protect Seras, too.

"You...You shouldn't have to protect me, Sissy." He said, calling the attention of all ears listening. Seras lifted her bowed head to look back at Demitri, who smiled sweetly at her in return. His smile faded though as he built his resolve, knowing once he did this, there was never any going back.

"Grell!" Demitri cried, astonished looks following in the wake of the noise. "You came here...You came here to kill me tonight, didn't you?" Grell rose sorely from his ditch, giving his muscles only a breif respite to stretch before bounding back to where he was roughly at before, only more mindful of all the clawed hands.

"Yes, darling. That's why I'm here tonight. To take your soul to meet it's fate- after diagnostics is finished with it of course."

"Demitri, what are you doing?!" Seras cried, nearly panicked. The child breathed deeply, shaking visibly.

"Grell...I..."

"Demitri, no! You can't!" Seras cried, her immature telepathic abilities making her acutely aware via intuition that he was making out to sacrifice himself. It was strange, how that ability worked; she was often more psychically in-tune with those she felt an emotional attatchment to. She couldn't make out thoughts unless she was touching the person, but her intuition usually gave her a good idea of where their thoughts were headed. Her mind filtered swiftly through all the things she'd come to know about the boy, searching desperately for the words to stop him before he even started. Recalling her nightmare, she let the words surge from her mouth like the grappling hook they were made to be, desperte to cling to this boy, to drag him from the dark, deadly place he was walking into, a place where he could not exist as himself, where his light, his soul, would be smothered like a flame. The thought itself made her rage like a caged lioness, her voice rising to a pitchy cry as she screamed into the night, towards that light, towards that star in the darkness that shared with her his light, so that she was not totally alone.

" _Your mother is alive!"_

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The stillness and the silence were the only reply Seras got for a long, bittersweet moment. Taking an uneccessary breath, she daren't glance back at her Master, who she could sense the waves of irritation rolling from, going forward with her thoughts before they became moot.

"Demitri, your mother is alive; she wants you, she wants you back," Seras smiled bitterly as she said this. "She...while I was sleeping, I had a dream," she explained, "Except it wasn't a dream. Elizabeth injected me with demon blood; it tried to take over me, to control me, but your mother's blood was also mixed into it- she stopped the demon blood from consuming me, from eating my Cinematic Record, just to tell me that!" Seras pleaded. "Please, Demitri; she talked to me! She told me how badly she wanted to see you again; She told me to meet her someplace, to give you back. If we do that, she said there would be no bloodshed, that no one would have to get hurt." Seras turned back to look at Integra, her damp eyes imploring the Hellsing to believe her. Integra's lips formed a flat line as she regarded the validity of what her servant said.

"Seras-"

"I know how it sounds, but I don't think she was lying," her voice cracked, her heart in tatters and her anxiety making everything feel worse somehow. "I think... I think this whole thing is just a misunderstanding; I can't explain it, but I have a hunch that if we meet her, if we give Demitri back to her, that we can resolve everything going on faster," Seras rushed her explaination before anyone could dare interrupt her. "Look, he's connected somehow to all of the Ghoul outbreaks and the surge of vampire activity, and we know for sure now that he's connected to the demon activity too..." Seras paused, heart clenching, as Integra raised her hand missively, halting her speech. "I've heard enough, Seras." Integra huffed, a scowl forming on her face as her single open eye closed in thought. When it opened, Seras found a glimmer of sympathy, rather than the anger she had been expecting.

"I understand where you are coming from, Seras." She began quietly. "But the fact remains that these Reapers are also out to get him, and you know better than even I probably do, that no one cheats death forever; not even Alucard." Integra gave her other servant an almost reproachful glance as she said this, quickly retruning her gaze back to the distraught Seras.

"He won't be able to run away forever. Even his mother must surely be aware of this." Seras' gaze fell with sorrow, fearing that her other Master would prohibit her from helping Demitri. Integra had no seals on her, but controlling her was as simple as ordering Alucard to do something about it, since she couldn't very well fight her own Master and certainly knew of no way to kill him, not that she'd want to.

"However," At this, Seras raised her head to regard Integra with a hopeful gleam in her eye. A careful kind of hope, but hope nontheless. Integra sighed, for the first time understanding why Alucard had such a hard time saying "no" to her, and maybe understanding a little bit of where Seras got her protectiveness over Demitri from; even she noticed in her fleeting visits with the half-breed that the two very clearly had some things in common. Sucking in a steady breath, she went on, hoping she was making the right choice. "However, you raise a point. Our duty is to erradicate threats to Her Majesty, the city of London, and the country of England; it is our jobs to do this swiftly, efficiently, and without failure, on our honor and our lives." Integra announced, fists balling at her sides. She rather wished she had a damn cigar on her right now. "If turning him into the hands of his supposed relatives is going to further that cause, or make it happen more swiftly, then I see no reason why we should not." Seras could have hugged the woman right then, had the moment been different. But there was one other thing she needed to deal with first. She turned a hard gaze in the direction of the red reaper, daring him to move.

Grell, for the first time in a long time, felt...bad, in a way, for having to take Demitri's soul. True, he felt sympathy for the vampire girl, just as he'd later felt sympathy for Demitri's mother, who threw herself in front of her son to protect him. Grell may have the want to be a female, but he couldn't say he'd ever been able to really understand maternity. After all, how could he? Still, the maternal instincts of those who so defended the boy struck something in the reaper's heart, which, while seeming callous and selfish to many, was surprisingly in-tune with other's emotional states. He was, after all, an actress; knowing your crowd was half the job. Still, he had a job to do, and he was so _not_ going to spend another eighty years suffering through the insufferable just because of one vampire's foolish dedication to one half-breed child- no matter how he might have felt about the matter. However, he still had the predicament of being surrounded by both vampires and demons at present and- damn it, where was William when he needed him?! The official was rarely ever late unless something was keeping him busy, which added a whole other level of stress to Grell's present issues. He'd never be caught dead admitting it openly to anyone but William, but he really loved the man, and worried about him restlessly in moments like these. But as his superior would point out, "restless hearts make for reckless minds"- with that thought in mind, Grell breathed deeply, working on keeping his head, ignoring the anxiety that came with trying to think logically when logic was not his most frequent companion. _' Damnit, if Will doesn't show soon I'll have to back out- again!'_

Just then, there was a sudden flash from atop the roof of the manor, before a long set of spear-like clippers shot down from above, quite precisely impaling one Elizabeth Midford straight through the heart. The action startled everyone present, but none showed quite as much of an expression as the watching Ciel, who's exposed, cerulian eye flashed crimson evanescently, though whether from being so aptly startled or from a long since misplaced anger even he did not know. Alistar also was caught extremely unprepared for the attack on his victim, his mind floundering for a moment as the event happened. Sebastian seemed less surprised, perhaps having sensed the reaper up there some time ago, but watched his Master's reaction with a wary kind of interest before preparing to fend off the unwelcome guest that was William T. Spears.

"WILLIAM!" Grell cried in sheer relief. He wasn't alone now, and Will, upon landing precisely upon the ground beside his coworker, seemed unharmed. "What the bloody hell took you so long!?" Grell shouted at him before the man could even utter a syllable. "You left me here to deal with _two_ fully grown demons and a demonic vampire _by myself_! What-"

"There was an issue with another reaping that I had to tend to first. A complication, as it were." William stated flatly, retracting his scythe from the vampiress' body before watching her cinematic record roll by swiftly, its course not yet complete before her body turned to blue flame, which he watched with an almost morbid sort of fascination.

"Like what?" Grell demanded, hands on his hips in a dramatic fashion.

"We'll talk about it later." Will said sharply, making Grell reel a moment in surprise. Peering into his partner's gaze, he seen a flash of something unnameable, but which he knew meant something had gone wrong. Something Will probably took personally, knowing him.

"Fine." Was all Grell could think to reply at the time, knowing pressing William for information when he wasn't in the mood to give it was as useful as trying to squeeze water out of a stone. They turned their backs to each other as William surveyed their situation, and once more Grell was happy he was here to do the thinking to he didn't have to.

Seras had been more than shocked by the abrupt appearance of the second reaper, which she could only assume to have the same intent as the first. She glanced briefly over to the pile of ash that was now Elizabeth, wondering briefly why he'd targeted her first before recalling her request of Alucard before she died. It made her sad, to think of it; but she had other things to be concerned with right then. Still, her eyes wandered over to where her Master stood, looking entirely too fed-up with all of this. She could empathize somewhat, even as he met her gaze with a hot one of his own. She couldn't be sure his ire was directed at her, but shied away from it anyway. His gaze softened a fraction before he lifted a hand to lightly rest it atop her head, the gesture so surprising her at the time that she couldn't resist a gasp.

"Come, Seras." He said as he drew his hand back, reaching inside his frock to grasp at the Jackal, giving only a fleeting moment for his mind to recall the man who'd given it to him before openly pointing it at the new intruder, who regarded the weapon with surprise and a subtle kind of fear that made him almost seem simply worried- but it was there, Alucard knew. The fear was there. "Let's be done with this before the sun rises."

"Yes, Sir!"

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 **Okay, not my best, but I'm working at odd hours of the night here. Tired minds don't like complicated. I incorporated a little Grelliam in here because frankly I can't see Grell managably working with anyone else besides maybe Ronald. Breifly. Not in the long term.**

 **I have to admit, despite my promises to return to old fics, I have a Grelliam fic plot bunny that won't leave me alone, so for those interested, be on the lookout. Will center mostly on Grell's past if I even do it, because...psychology.**

 **But anyhow-**

 **Alright, we're one step closer to the ultimate duel- but there's some demons left for our anti-heroes to fight, inside and out, so stay tuned! Oh, and please, REVIEW for the next heart-wrenching chapter! (well, I'm sure it seemed that way to some of you...)**


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